Two Extraordinary Women
by Lady Detective
Summary: Having survived their day in the Enchanted Forest of the past, Regina and Emma return to Storybrooke with a tenuous new understanding that is challenged by the usual suspects, but more pressingly, Cora, determined to have her daughter back. The sequel to "One Extraordinary Day".
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Hello, Readers! You were so kind, and I had enough requests and enough leftover Regina-centric feelings that I managed to put together a sequel. It's not much, and I'm sorry it took so long, but I hope you enjoy.

* * *

_"To the future."_

Were anyone to walk into the Sheriff's Station at that moment, they might not notice anything. There had been a flash of green light just seconds earlier, but to a casual observer, the room appeared empty. As if the Sheriff had stepped out for lunch, or a cat rescue perhaps.

But the reality was, the Sheriff was in the office, lying in a pile of tangled limbs hidden behind one of the desks with the former Mayor of Storybrooke. Emma couldn't help but wonder what made some portal landings more graceful than others. But much more pressing than even the mayor's form halfway on top of hers, was confirming that they were in fact, back. As the brunette rolled away, apparently too dazed to notice her landing, Emma sat up and looked around.

The desks were the same. The cell was the same. The view from the windows exactly how they had left it. And most importantly, the clock on the wall was just striking a minute later than when they had left.

They were back.

Emma felt a tugging on her hand. Now also sitting up, Regina had arrived at the same realization but had also recognized their fingers remained intertwined. Despite the magic still coursing through their connection from the power they used to open the portal and the trip through it, Regina knew—they were back in Storybrooke, and everything would go back to the way it was. Though as she tried to unlace her fingers and regain her stoic front, she felt Emma's grasp tighten. In fact, she suddenly felt pulled towards the blonde as the Sheriff only let go of her hand to draw her into a hug.

"We did it! Regina, we did it! We're back!"

Just when she had thought she couldn't be surprised, Emma was at it again. Somehow, Regina was sitting on the dirty floor of the station with Emma's arms wrapped around her, and she couldn't find it in her to mind. Because the Savior was right. They were back.

She inhaled deeply for what felt like the first time in years, removed from the edge, and gently pulled away from the warmth she was disconcerted to find she liked. Emma wouldn't let her separate herself entirely, strong hands once again finding their way to her arms, as if Regina was her tether to reality.

"We did, Emma. I guess we make a good team," Regina admitted.

The corners of Emma's mouth twitched upwards as her hands dropped to find Regina's. She gave a squeeze. They were getting somewhere.

"See? I am right sometimes."

Regina actually smiled at Emma's cheery teasing. It was like she knew they were reaching a point where Regina was uneasy, and she was there to pull her back into their usual, more comfortable banter.

"Don't push your luck, Miss Swan."

Their moment, whatever it was, was interrupted by the sounds of hurried footsteps in the hall.

"Emma? Emma, are you okay? Granny saw Regina come in, and I couldn't reach you—"

David froze mid-stride and mid-sentence when he saw his daughter sitting in front of the former Evil Queen, looking, for all intents and purposes, like she was comforting her.

There was no blood, no evidence of a fight—unless you considered their slightly rumpled clothes, though if anything, it looked more like they had spent the night in them. Which was entirely possible in Emma's case. Regina, on the other hand…

Regina, for her part, was just realizing that Charming was there, that he had thought she was hurting Emma, and that Emma still had her hands. They were holding hands.

She pulled away as quickly as possible, making a move to stand. Too concerned with the situation, she entirely missed Emma's reaction, or perhaps more appropriately, her lack thereof. The blonde wasn't fazed at all by Regina tearing away as if she had been burnt. Though she certainly didn't care what her father thought (unless meant he would think more highly of Regina), she understood the brunette's need to save face in front of Charming, who was in fact acting like the idiot Regina so often called him, standing agape, still immobile in the entryway.

She couldn't help but feel a little anger rising at the fact that he continued to refuse to acknowledge Regina's growth, or at least that she would never hurt Emma for Henry's sake. But mostly, she was irritated that once again his Prince Charming complex meant that she was a damsel needing saving. It was hard enough trying to reconcile that he was her father without his constantly looking out for her. All his protective side did was remind Emma that she had been entirely on her own for 28 years. And just because her foes had been handsy guys and violent marks and foster parents instead of dragons and ogres and evil witches didn't mean she was any less capable of dealing with any of it. In fact, as she quickly remembered, she happened to be the only one capable of dealing with one evil witch in particular who had followed Emma and Snow back from the Enchanted Forest, and likely would have to do so quite soon.

With a groan, she started to stand. Yet another battle was on the horizon, and they would have to get through this…awkwardness first. Her joy in returning home was turning out to be much shorter lived than she had hoped.

Finally shutting his jaw, David realized Emma hadn't just been comforting Regina. Even though that in itself was odd for his daughter. They were holding hands because she needed the contact. Like maybe he and Snow would hold hands. Something had to have happened. But he couldn't bring himself to ask, afraid of the women's reactions but perhaps even more of their responses. At least Emma wasn't in danger. He could go with his other reason for stopping by the office.

"Sorry, Emma, uh, Henry was asking if you could come home early. He's still worried about you, with, uh, Cora around." He glanced awkwardly at Regina who was now standing somewhat off to the side, fully closed off.

"Perfect," Emma replied cheerfully, glad to have him doing the avoiding for her. "Yeah, we'll come home."

Emma started heading towards the door, knowing she would have to turn back for Regina, but when she did, she was struck by the depth of emotion rising to the surface of her eyes. It really was cruel, keeping Henry from his mother.

"C'mon, Regina, let's go."

The request was so simple, and so lighthearted, like it hadn't meant a big change in her and Regina's relationship, in Regina and Henry's. Paired with the emotional turmoil of their unexpected trip and nearing a day without sleep, Regina was horrified to find tears building in the corners of her eyes. She was quickly saved from spilling them, however, when Charming cleared his throat.

"Emma—"

Turning rapidly to face her father, Emma stared him down with her best Evil Queen "_say anything and you won't be standing so tall_" glare. This time, Regina saw her reaction in its full glory, and she was barely able to contain her amusement and slight pride. Perhaps the princess could make a decent Queen after all.

"…Are you—is everything okay?" Charming changed tacks. Emma may have been able to keep him from commenting about Regina accompanying them, but he wasn't about to let them out of this without some sort of explanation for what had caused the shift between the two women.

"Everything is fine, David. We're both fine." Emma looked to Regina. She figured the former mayor could handle being spoken for this one time.

"But what happened?"

"David." Her tone may have said not to press, but David was never one to back away from a challenge.

"Something clearly happened, Emma. What's going on?"

Emma sighed. They would have to explain this new thing between them somehow. Besides, as much as she didn't want to worry them, her family should know about this unpredictable portal thing. "Look. I promise we'll explain when we're all together, okay? I really only want to do this once."

David considered her response. He could handle waiting a few minutes. But that meant he now needed to give Snow fair warning of Regina coming over.

"Okay, Emma. When we're together," he confirmed. "I'm gonna go back ahead, let Henry and Snow know. I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks, Dad. See you soon."

With a warm smile that came every time he heard her call him "dad," David turned and left, trying to stem his curiosity until he could tell his wife about it.

After watching him leave, Emma turned to her new friend. Regina was still standing behind her, her arms wrapped around her middle as if crossing them could keep her from fidgeting. The Queen was clearly uncomfortable, but as always, she was not one to discuss it. Emma took a few steps toward her.

"We have to tell them something," she entreated. "Not anywhere near the whole story, but the basics. You can add how I rocked the peasant dress, if you'd like." Tacking on a cocky grin to the end of her comforting words, Regina wondered how she managed it, saying the right things in the right way when she had so often done the exact opposite before.

But she was still worried about seeing Henry for the first time since the incident with Dr. Hopper. Just because he now knew she didn't kill the bug didn't mean he wouldn't still reject her. And Regina wasn't sure how much of that she could take after the day they had. It was just more torture to have him so close and not be able to hold him. But she missed him like she had only ever missed Daniel.

Emma sensed her distress, but she knew she had no control over this one. This was up to Henry. And she hoped he would come through.

"C'mon. Let's go see our kid."


	2. Chapter 2

They spent most of the short ride over in silence. After Regina had made the requisite insults at the idea of riding in Emma's "death trap" and Emma responded that it was likely the safest they would be all day considering how a portal is an actual death trap. The brunette focused on smoothing creases from her dress, fixing her hair, adjusting her mask for her trip into enemy territory. Emma watched her out of the corner of her eye, so intrigued by the inner workings of the woman next to her.

As they approached Mary Margaret's front door, Regina's mayoral façade was complete, the vulnerability Emma had seen not minutes earlier relegated to the back of her consciousness. Emma gave her a look before opening the door, one last check in. Regina just rolled her eyes. Emma simply smiled back, knowing that lying just beneath the collected exterior was a bundle of live wire nerves.

Emma opened the door to see her parents holding each other and Henry just off to the side, moving towards her. Accepting his smile, she stepped aside entirely to reveal Regina.

All the work she had put into creating her sneer crumbled instantly when she saw Henry light up and make the gap between them in short time, hugging her securely around her waist.

"Mom! I'm sorry I thought you killed Archie." He had gone to hug her without thinking, no consideration for the Evil Queen, because honestly, he was just happy to see her. He was 12, and he missed his Mom. He missed her hugs.

"Oh, Henry…" Regina melted into his embrace, holding his head just below her chin, now that he was getting so tall, and petting his hair.

But almost as quickly as it happened, Henry was pulling away. His determination to punish the Queen, punish evil, had seeped back in, not realizing that his ideals of good and evil had only come from his mother teaching him right and wrong in the first place.

But like many crusaders, Henry's driven dedication was the result of emotions, not logic.

"You used magic to escape Grandma and Grampa." He frowned. "You said you wouldn't."

Regina was on the verge of tears from first the hug and then the subsequent rejection, a full ride on her emotional tilt-a-whirl, but she couldn't help but forgive him, even through his angry accusations. She had promised.

"I—I'm sorry, Henry." Her head hung low, trying to forget that the Charmings were there to witness this whole thing, feeling lower than she ever had in their captivity. Leave it to her son to strip her bare of defenses in front of her enemy.

Emma knew she couldn't call Henry out on his fickle tweenness, not without making things worse, but she needed to do something. Instead, she moved closer to Regina and lightly placed a hand on the back of her shoulder. Surprisingly enough, the Queen did find comfort in it, grateful for the blonde's reminder of support, and she made sure to stand a little straighter.

Snow was shocked to see the touch, the apparent closeness between the women, especially after Emma had accused Regina of Archie's murder, the last one to revoke her support and so drastically. She looked to Charming for confirmation she was seeing correctly. Her husband was only slightly less surprised. So this wasn't a one-time thing.

Henry, who had been resolved not to accept his mother's apology, lost his focus when he noticed the weirdness. His mom was letting Emma touch her. Emma appeared to be touching her voluntarily to comfort her. It didn't make any sense.

"Emma, what's going on?"

This time, both women shocked away from the touch, standing far enough apart not to try it again. Henry's questioning had restored electricity to the circuit.

As the question had been addressed to her, Emma tried her best to explain. "Uh, well, kid, your mom and I, we're—we did some…bonding, 'cause we had to work together, and it turns out, we're not such a bad team."

Lacking as she found Emma's response, Regina felt that she would do no better—not to mention that any explanation from her would likely be dismissed as untrue or manipulative, or whatever the Charmings felt best to throw at her, so she remained silent, meeting the blonde's eyes.

Henry was also not impressed and found he had more questions than before. His moms shouldn't be working together—the Savior and the Evil Queen would always work against each other. He would have asked, too, but Snow rapidly cut in with an interrogation of her own.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

Emma glanced at Regina before offering a response to her confused and worried mother.

This wasn't going to help any.

"We kind of fell through a portal."

The cacophony of responses was immediate and surprisingly deafening considering there were only three questioners.

"How? When?"

"Who opened it?"

"What happened?"

All it took was a harsh glare from Regina, the kind she was used to leveling as a mayor who had to supervise town halls, and the three managed to quiet enough to let Emma respond.

"It kind of opened itself. Regina and I were—having a discussion in the Sherriff's Station—where you found us, David—and the floor just opened up."

With that, Snow converged on Emma, checking her over for injuries like she had fallen off a playground swing. "Emma, are you okay?"

Emma, incredibly uncomfortable with the amount of fussing she was being subjected to, slid closer to Regina, intending for her to work as an opposing magnet, and paired with some mumbled assurances to Mary Margaret, it did the trick. However, once Snow was deprived of her emotional outlet for mothering, her logic returned.

"But Emma, how could you fall through and get back so fast?"

This was where it was going to get complicated. Emma was amazed at how even in a world where just about everything was possible, there'd always be disbelief.

"Well, we didn't, really. I mean, we did faster than _we_ did, and thank god, 'cause I couldn't handle smelling that bad again." Emma was trying to distract from the surreal conversation with her typical awkward humor, and Regina latched on to the normalness as soon as she could.

"Oh, really, Miss Swan. I didn't realize it was all that different from your usual scent."

Emma was more than grateful for the teasing and the women shared a small, if somewhat devious smile.

This exchange did little to settle everyone else, however. And before Emma could respond with a retort of her own, David brought them back to the subject at hand.

"Emma, I saw you this morning before my patrol, so even if you fell through right away, you still couldn't have been gone more than a few hours. What happened over there?"

Emma exhaled slowly. This would all be easier if everyone in the room liked each other, or if she weren't so tired, or if this were at least an accepted occurrence for the likes of Snow White and Prince Charming.

"We only fell through right before you came into the station looking for me, David. We came back so quick because we were in the past. Though we were actually gone for a day. Only a day, thanks to Regina."

That was enough to turn Henry's attention. "Time travel? Cool!"

"Yeah, not so much, kid. I'm gonna try and stick to only going forward from now on."

Henry watched the slump in her shoulders and the matching one in Regina's, the deep meaning between them not understood but also not missed. Their exhaustion made him realize he was not as pleased by this time/realm travel as he thought he might be. Other worlds didn't seem so appealing if it meant the people he loved would be sucked through without him all the time.

Snow was still blown away, not realizing that this kind of travel was even possible, but David, ever rational, was stuck on the logistics.

"But how did you get back? Do we have to worry?"

Emma was grateful for the second question, not interested in getting into the details of their trip with anyone but Regina. Offering more specifics would just mean more questions, and suddenly Emma realized how Regina must feel around her. Apparently, inquisitiveness was a Charming genetic trait.

"I don't think we have anything to worry about, per se. At least not from your land. Nobody followed us. Though we may need to cordon off that part of the office. Or just not let me or anyone else with magic near it."

As she considered the dangers of their trip, she remembered that the real threat was already here. Cora. As much as she wanted to pretend that she wasn't an issue, they needed to prepare. There was no time like the present.

"We need to have a serious talk about what's been going on here, though. Anything new on Cora since Archie came back? Anything from patrol?"

Snow and David exchanged some not so subtle looks over Regina being included in the conversation, but Emma fixed them with a stare that said, "_don't even try_."

David took his daughter's command and spoke to both women. "There's not much to tell. Nobody has seen her…at least, not as her." He looked at Regina guiltily before continuing, "Hook has been spotted on occasion but they don't seem to be working together."

"At least not the way they were in our land," Snow added on.

"So she tried to frame her daughter for murder and is now just hanging out? What is she up to?"

Regina spoke up softly. More so than she had intended. "She wants me."

"Regina."

Snow preempted her daughter's response. "No, she's right."

Entirely ignoring Snow, Regina turned to Emma to explain. "She set me up for the bu—Dr. Hopper's murder because she has a plan. She's manipulating the pieces of her game. And I am first."

From her limited experience with the Queen of Hearts, Emma knew Regina's assessment was spot on. But long cons had never been her specialty. "Does she know you know?"

"She likely assumes. But she couldn't possibly have expected him to escape or prepared for the reactions to that." Regina couldn't help but feel a little impressed by the cricket. Having the upper hand would go a long way in figuring out what her mother was after and trying to stop her.

"How are we going to deal with this?" Emma asked Regina specifically. Her parents may have been capable of many things, but not dealing with Cora.

"Let her come after me." The answer was simple. There were no other possibilities.

"Regina, no." Emma found herself replying rather vehemently, though her force went unnoticed by her parents who also opposed the plan, albeit for different reasons.

"Mom!"

Regina was most startled by Henry's concern, though she tamped down her response, listening to the nagging feelings that said he was just worried she would fall back in with her evil mother, like the Charmings were. Still, she made her case to all.

"We have to. There's no use fighting her until we know what she truly wants…even then…" Regina trailed off, refusing to consider just what her mother was capable of—the one foe she truthfully feared. Emma was fidgeting; David had his knight's façade of stoicism in the face of danger on; and Snow looked whiter than her namesake all just thinking about Cora.

It was no wonder she ended up the way she did, Regina mused. She was born to be a villain. She reinforced her cold strength further as she took a step towards the door.

"I should go back home. She won't approach me with others around. Perhaps I can try carrying out the charade of your belief in my guilt." Regina spit out the final words with a venom more suited to her past reign. She knew she should be trying to play nice in front of Henry, and now, she was surprised to care, Emma, but with everything from the past bubbling up to the surface, it was becoming all the more difficult to contain her rage. She was at least grounded enough to recognize that this was probably what her mother was hoping for.

Henry didn't know much about his grandmother, but based on the looks of the adults in the room he didn't much want to. If she was someone both the Savior and the Evil Queen could fear…suddenly he was afraid. Even after everything, he didn't want to lose Regina. She was his mom. And Emma didn't seem conflicted about being friends with her now... He ran over to stop her from reaching the door.

"Mom, no, please! I'm coming with you."

When her eyes met his, Regina couldn't deny he was actually worried for her, despite his heroic presentation, and her heart melted in a way that only he could manage. But she still steeled herself because she couldn't give in. She couldn't give in to the temptation of having him back when despite everything that had changed between her and Emma for now, that would likely never happen. Besides, now she had a reason she needed to keep him away. For his own good.

As deadly serious as she had ever been, she leant down to his level.

"No, Henry. I wish you could, but I don't want her anywhere near you. My mother…takes away the things I love, and that means you. You need to stay here for now."

Sensing that she wouldn't give on this point, but not a fan, Henry protested, "Mom, you can't be alone!"

"She won't be alone, kid, I'm going with." Emma's response was instantaneous. She had been feeling most of the same things Henry appeared to. She did not like the idea of Cora alone with Regina one bit. But more importantly, she didn't like the idea of Regina being alone at all any longer. And she had promised.

"Emma—"

"Regina, I'm not leaving you."

There was so much more behind those words that the air in the room crackled with tension. Regina found herself oddly swayed, but Henry was simply pleased with the compromise. And as much as he'd miss Emma, he kind of liked his moms getting along.

"Yeah, Mom, Emma'll protect you!"

Regina paused, evaluating her options, seeing the hope in Henry's eyes and the confusion and slight horror in the Charmings'.

"Fine." She managed to remember to add on, "If it will make you happy, Henry."

Very little resolved, but too wiped to consider anything else, Emma snatched on the opportunity to put things, like herself, to bed.

"Ok, good. Let's go then. 'Cause I'm exhausted."

Emma volunteering to protect Regina was one thing but willingly leaving everything to go home with her? Snow knew not to question her motives, but she didn't want to let go of her daughter to her enemy quite yet.

"Really, honey, so soon?"

"Yeah, Emma, it's not even dinner yet!" Henry was fine with Emma doing her job as the Savior, but that shouldn't mean he didn't get to spend any time with her.

"Guys, remember the part where I said me and Regina spent a day in the past? I meant a day." Emma complained. Why did everything have to be a fight? Being involved in other people's lives could be such a drag.

Regina took a moment to consider the situation. She wanted to leave this hovel of an apartment as soon as possible, but Henry was here. And no one was saying anything about her being here with him. And he had even expressed some concern on her behalf. She wanted nothing more than time with him, and right now, she could actually have it. She turned to Emma.

"Miss Swan, I'm sure you've pulled foolhardy all-nighters worse than this. Surely you should eat something first."

Emma was shocked at the words. She knew that Regina was just as ready to collapse as she was, if not more, but eating did sound pretty good, as her stomach was happy to remind her. More importantly, Regina was willing to tolerate her parents just so she could have a little time with Henry. The woman truly would do anything for her son.

She questioned her quietly enough so only Regina could hear. "What about your mom? Keeping up the charade?"

Regina responded in kind, impressed by the blonde's foresight. "We can risk it."

Their moment was interrupted when Henry spoke up with a question of his own.

"Mom, would you make dinner? Here, I mean? If it's ok?"

This time all of the adults were similarly shocked. Though you would have missed it in a blink, Regina recovered enough to look briefly to Snow who dipped her head in surprise, granting her former stepmother reign of her kitchen.

"Of course, dear. Anything you want." Regina grinned. This would certainly be worth another few hours being side-eyed by the Charmings.

It turned out it was worth it for everyone. Mary Margaret was a fine cook, but Regina was a pro. She made a wonderful early dinner, and a ton of it, using everything from Snow's pantry as if she were an Iron Chef, and not only was Emma once again awestruck, she was thrilled and so grateful because she realized just how long she had gone without food, and she was ready to faint just at the thought of it.

Regina smirked at the blonde practically drooling, wondering how that tiny body could consume all it did and how the Sheriff was going to out-do herself this time since the rumbling in Regina's own stomach was almost loud enough to hear. Henry helped with little things in the kitchen, the way he used to when things were different, happy to be around his mom, realizing that he had missed her in spite of himself, and maybe he would have to give some consideration to people not all being one thing or another. More than that, he was happy to be with both of his moms, and when they were getting along so well—as bizarre as that was. Emma had leant against the island watching the brunette move intently, occasionally trying to sneak a taste but always swatted away by quick hands that had far too much experience with potential thievery.

Snow and Charming stood together at the other end of the room, undecided on whether to stay and make sure something, they didn't know what, didn't happen, but then Regina had dismissed them halfway through, saying dinner would be ready in a half hour, and they took the cue, leaving the trio alone, though within hearing distance so they could keep tabs on this odd turn of events. Emma had been opening up to the former mayor ever since the well, but this, this was a little much. Snow would have to have a talk with her daughter about toning down the niceness.

When dinner was finished, it was in fact, magical, despite the literal lack of magic involved in its creation. Their eating would have been spent in awkward silence but Emma was too busy alternating between stuffing everything down her throat and moaning praise to Regina to notice. And Regina, though she ate with the grace she always did, had a little smile of amusement drawn across her lips, thoroughly enjoying watching Emma and being with Henry enough to ignore the Charmings. The Charmings themselves had been struck completely dumb at this point, the only noise coming from David letting slip a hum of appreciation of his own before Snow kicked him underneath the table. Henry, despite enjoying the change of pace, had grown increasingly disturbed by the drastic change in his mothers' behavior, and decided that he was going to recount the storyline in the most recent comic he had read, answering the occasional question from Regina—and Emma during the odd time she actually managed to swallow.

(Regina had shot her a look a couple of times when she had tried to speak with her mouth full, and once again to everyone's astonishment, Emma actually complied.)

After eating, Emma's exhaustion had fully swept over her, and everyone recognized that the pair would have to go. Regina, not surprisingly, was holding herself together much more adeptly, but even she still couldn't manage to stifle a yawn.

"Thank you for dinner, Regina. It was delicious." Snow handled being gracious for now, though she was still incredibly wary.

Regina could only nod at the woman sitting at the other end of the table. Just because whatever this was was different between her and Emma, that didn't need to extend to Snow. She was also more than a little discomfited because she had almost begun to clear the table as she normally did at home, taking comfort in cleaning dishes. She had almost believed that things could be normal again. But they weren't. Not even close. And she certainly would not submit to cleaning for Snow.

"Ok, kid, you got your dinner, and man, am I glad you did, but I've got to go to sleep like, now." Emma was reluctant to tear Regina away from Henry—again—but it took all her concentration to get a sentence out, and she knew that if they stayed any longer without distractions, her parents would start with the questions, and that could only lead to trouble.

"But Emma, if you're asleep, how are you gonna protect her?"

"Henry—" Regina started. Her son's concern for her was starting to be too much. She didn't know how she would be able to handle it when he went back to hating her.

Emma read the truth in Regina's eyes and stood up to ruffle Henry's hair. "Hey, don't worry. I've got this." Her words were as much for Henry as they were for his mother. "Plus, kid, your mom doesn't need protection, you know? I'm just there in case she needs me. Just like she was for me at the well, right? Besides, let's hope Cora keeps normal business hours."

Regina was going to go for something snide to keep her from feeling Emma's sentiment too deeply, but she didn't want to worry Henry knowing that if Cora were ready, she would make her move whenever she damn well chose.

Henry had already stood up to give Emma a crushing hug.

"Okay. Will you come back in the morning?" The question was directed to both women, his arms around Emma, but his eyes darting between them.

"Sure, Henry. We'll both come and check in," Emma answered, knowing Regina would like nothing more.

With that, he moved to his other mother and surprised her with the strength of his grip.

"Be safe, Mom."

They weren't quite back to "I love yous," but for Regina, this was more than enough. She resisted the urge to hold onto him as he loosened his grasp.

"I will, Henry. I promise. I love you."

Stopping herself from grabbing Regina's hand (she needed to explain that urge to herself before exposing it to her parents), Emma instead directed the brunette towards the door.

"Bye, guys. See you in the morning."

David wrapped his arm around his wife at they both stared at the door their daughter had gently guided the Evil Queen through. The same thought consuming them.

_What could have possibly happened in a day?_


	3. Chapter 3

As Regina opened the door, the first thing Emma noticed was that it was cold. Regina clearly hadn't been home since Emma's front yard accusation, and it felt it. Even Evil Queens made their lairs feel lived in, but now the mayoral mansion sat perfect but empty. It felt even colder without Henry's presence. Too big for a lonely woman. Yet another gilded cage.

Regina had recognized all the same feelings but barely hesitated. At least she was back, with a fully functioning kitchen and shower and windows—a gilded cage was still better than the gilded dungeon of her family crypt. But now the Swan was here, and in terms of it being better or worse—it could go either way. Best to be efficient before things devolved and Regina ended up in a jail cell.

She was all business leading Emma up the stairs, pointing her to the guest bedroom, the towels, the bathroom.

Emma was a little more hesitant, recognizing she was now fully in Regina's domain. She was going to stay in her home—she had never seen the guest bedroom let alone expected to sleep there. Plus she had forced her way in, and while Regina may have acquiesced under fatigue, there was always the possibility that she'd rage at being stuck with the blonde for another day, no matter how well things had been going since their return.

And then there was Cora.

"Regina," Emma probed, "Will Cora know I'm here? Will it be a problem for convincing her that I still think you're guilty—or bad, or whatever?"

Seeing Regina's features harden, Emma took a wild shot at what Regina had read into her questions.

"Even if it does, I'm staying. I just need you to tell me how to play this. You know better than me."

Regina sighed. How Emma had guessed she was worried the blonde would wriggle away from their arrangement was one thing. The fact she had been worried was way more troubling. Instead, she focused on the original questions, no subtext involved. Her mother likely already knew everything. As she always had.

"If by some chance she doesn't, I will claim house arrest. It may fool her."

Emma didn't find much comfort in Regina's less than confident answer, but she took it all the same.

"Okay."

She knew that they were going to have to talk about, well, everything, but at that moment, they were both struggling to keep their eyes open, so instead, as the brunette turned from her in the hallway to head to her own room, she said simply, "Goodnight, Regina."

It was soft but genuine. Regina couldn't help but reply in turn.

"Goodnight, Emma."

* * *

She woke up with a gasp.

Despite her bone-crushing tiredness, she had not slept well. That was to be expected. Her nightmares were almost constant anyway, and considering what she had relived in the past day…Sometimes they were a jumble, but sometimes they were as clear as the memories from where they drew their inspiration. Tonight's was in fact quite clear, as she imagined it would be. But she was surprised to find that her worry about her mother had trumped any flashbacks of her time with Leopold.

More surprising was Cora standing at the foot of her bed.

Regina skittered back to the headboard. No one had the power to make her do that. No one but her mother.

"Mama!"

"Hello, darling," Cora purred. "Are you surprised to see me?"

"Yes! I…but, no, Mother." She caught her breath, determined not to show weakness. "I knew you were here."

"But surely you were surprised when you found out?" Cora was cooing like she had dropped by for a surprise afternoon tea, not magically appearing in her daughter's room at the end of her bed in the middle of the night. Regina stayed pressed up against the headboard, waiting.

"Yes, Mother. I was."

"Because you expected me dead, or because you thought I wouldn't make it to this world of yours?"

"Both."

Regina was a grown woman and she knew she shouldn't be afraid of her mother's wrath, but she was, desperately. She was afraid of everything, anything. Anything her mother could do. But Cora apparently was determined to keep her off kilter and didn't even bat an eye at her response.

"Well, darling, it's alright. I forgive you."

Regina gaped. Cora did not forgive. Not like this. Her tension was ramping. Something had to be going on. This was some part of her game.

"I do, darling. For the portal, the pirate…I'm so glad your little plan fell through, because I heard everything you said as you cried over my coffin."

"You did?" Regina thought back to that day, when everything had changed. Could her words possibly have gotten through?

"Yes, I did." Cora had moved from the end of the bed to be closer to Regina, her soothing tone drawing her daughter in in spite of herself. "You were only trying to follow my advice, which is all I ever wanted you to do, really. Even if you managed to botch it again, it does not matter, because we can be together now. A family."

Regina fought to stifle a gasp. This couldn't be real. It had to be another dream. Or one of Cora's manipulations. Her mother knew she loved her and was using it to her advantage. Whatever that would be.

"Is that what you want, Mother? Is that why you're here?"

"Why, Regina, are you not glad to see me?"

Regina was split between believing her mother hurt and believing that this would be the moment she would finally lash out and Regina would be on the end of some very unforgiving magic.

"Of—of course I am, Mother!" Regina hated her stammer, just another reminder of being young and afraid. She took a deep breath before continuing, determined to converse with her mother just as she would anyone else. "I just don't understand. Why you faked the cricket's murder, stole my files?"

Cora sat on the edge of the bed as if she were tucking Regina in.

"It was only meant to be temporary, darling. I wanted you to be happy, Regina, and to see your boy taken from you without a fight? To see you yield to this town of imbiciles? I had to do something. I had to show you what these people truly think of you. "

Cora reached out a hand to her daughter, but Regina resisted. As much as she longed for her mother's love, she couldn't reward her—she couldn't fall exactly where Cora wanted her. Not without some struggle.

"They would have arrested me without a thought if he had not escaped—if I had not run! You made an airtight case against me." Regina got out of bed, hoping some distance would help her resolve, but she instantly felt vulnerable in her silk pajamas with little sleep. No doubt why her mother had made her move at night.

"Darling, I would have revealed the truth before any harm befell you. But it needed to be done—I couldn't have you reject me again before we had the chance to talk."

"You wanted me desperate."

"I wanted you to know whom you could turn to for help. Whom you can always turn to."

Regina crossed her arms and closed her eyes. It was harder to resist, but she was also angrier. Her life may not have had many healthy relationships, but she knew this was not how it was supposed to work. She spoke slowly but firmly, her years as Evil Queen lending her more strength than she had typically possessed in her conversations with her mother.

"Mother, I am trying to be good. For Henry. It is the least he deserves from me. And if you do truly want to start again, I deserve it from you."

"Of course, Regina, I'm sorry. But now that the truth is out, can we begin again?"

The words were out before Regina even realized.

"I'm sorry, Mother, but I don't know that we can."

Cora began to lose her temper and her patience. It was hard enough acting as though all had been truly forgiven without Regina pushing her. The nerve of the girl. She clearly had gone too many years without discipline. This would not do. She imagined at the base of her problems was the blonde sleeping down the hall. Though she wasn't quite sure of the arrangements yet, she knew the Sheriff had been particularly reluctant to believe her daughter the murderer. Cora had been especially pleased when Rumple of all people had helped change her mind. The cricket's escape had put a damper on things, granted, but Cora had still had hope when Emma had refused to acknowledge she had been in the wrong when Regina confronted her in the station, stubbornly clinging to any justification as to why she hadn't "followed her gut." But while she had been enjoying their argument over this reaction from afar, she had seen them go through the portal and return in the blink of an eye. And now, everything was different. Cora thought she'd try pursuing this instead. A change in tactic.

"Whatever happened in the world you traveled to today, darling? To make you think that that blonde could ever believe you?" This time the sweetness in her tone was overtly cloying, the edge barely hidden beyond layers of false pleasantry, as Cora smoothed the edge of the comforter.

"I don't—"

"Don't lie to me, Regina." The words were as harsh as the punishment that used to follow them when she was a child. Cora stood and stalked towards her daughter.

"I know you've fallen for her little plan. Keeping you docile until she discovers a way to separate you permanently from your darling boy. I can't imagine what could have happened to convince you—though you have always been so easily deceived."

"Mother—"

Seeing Regina falter under her harshness, Cora switched back to her original tack. She would win the naïve girl with honey. And a little guilt. "I am sorry, Regina. I hope you'll see that someday. And I want you to know that when your little friend stabs you in the back, I will be there for you, darling. Mother will always be there. Because all I ever wanted was what was best for you."

She took the final step forward with her most powerful weapon.

"All I ever wanted was for you to be happy."

Of course Regina had heard it all before, but somehow, even after all she had been through, hope for happiness continued to survive deep within her soul.

"You did?"

"Of course, darling. And now, all I want, the reason I'm here, is for us to be a family again. Us and your boy. I want to help you get your son back from the people who have stolen him from you." Cora could see Regina's defenses crumble under her skilled assault. She added a dramatic sigh to seal the deal. "When you see that, call for me. And I will come running."

As she said her last words, she brushed her fingertips down Regina's cheek, holding her chin before disappearing in a dark poof.

Regina wanted nothing more than to collapse on the floor from where she stood. Instead she remembered that Emma was there. And Cora had been here, and nothing had happened between her and Emma. She settled herself as much as she could and opened the door.

Emma wasn't there. She wasn't anywhere in the hall. Granted, they hadn't been that loud, but Regina felt that Emma would just know. Besides, she suspected the Sheriff was used to waking at the slightest noise. Especially when she was on self-appointed guard duty.

So Regina padded down the hall to the guest room, beginning to regret not putting on her robe or maybe a full suit before going in search of the blonde, when she saw the door cracked open. So she was up. Or maybe Cora did do something. Regina couldn't decide whether she was more worried that she had or that Emma may have run back to her room to hide that she had been listening the entire time.

She slowly pushed open the door to find Emma sitting straight up against the headboard, fully awake.

"She's gone?"

"Yes." So she had known. But it looked like she had been sitting there a while. "You didn't—"

Emma cut her off.

"Not again, Regina."

Regina stared momentarily at her, considering the solemnity of her statement before abruptly walking out of the room. Emma was shocked still. Had she made a mistake in reminding Regina what she had seen? Or was Cora still a threat? She needed information. She needed communication, and she was hopping out of bed to run after the brunette when her phone vibrated against the nightstand.

It was a text from Regina.

_She's probably watching. _

Emma froze again, waiting for instructions. The phone buzzed.

_Act angry with me. Downstairs den, 10 minutes._

Freaked by the admission, Emma resisted the temptation to run and tried to use her actual anger and confusion, laying down as if to go back to sleep, but bursting up at the end of a long 10 minutes, actually feeling like a roped-around Sheriff when she finally busted into the den.

Regina was already there, pacing, looking nervous, which paired with how Emma had managed to startle her slightly meant that this was not going to be good news.

"You weren't this agitated the whole time, were you?" Regina scowled a little more than she had been.

"No, Regina, I played the part, but you've got to fill me in here. She's watching? Why? How? Why here?"

"Good to see your inquisitive nature is still holding strong."

Regina may have cocked her eyebrow, but it was not a jab. She was still unsettled, but this was an acknowledgement of what they went through. It was an acknowledgement that it had meant something to her that Emma had not listened in this time around. Accepting that, Emma waited for her to continue.

"I made you wait because as much as my mother likes to know everything that is going on, her time is precious, and if she feels nothing is going to happen, she grows impatient. I asked you to be angry with me because it is in line with... her perspective of things. I told you to come here because if for any reason she kept watching, this room is already cloaked and wouldn't have raised as much suspicion. Satisfied?"

Regina's energy had completely died out over the course of her explanation. She sunk down into the couch, dropping her normally flawless posture in favor of nursing the tumbler of cider she had already started.

"Yes. Thank you." Emma continued to work out her nerves standing. She didn't know how to broach what they had talked about. Cora had been in Regina's room a lot longer and a lot more quietly than Emma had expected. "So. What's her angle?"

Regina looked up, too tired to hedge or hide. Too tired of having no one to tell.

"She wants me back. She wants us, and Henry, to be a family. She wants to get Henry back for me."

Emma was suddenly uncomfortable with how close this was to what Regina actually wanted. She perched on the edge of the couch, hoping not to be the one who would push Regina back over to the dark side.

"…Is…is that it?"

"No." Regina paused, determining how to answer. "She didn't say anything else, but there is something. I know there's something."

It was unclear whether she was trying to convince Emma or herself. Because despite it all, she felt it stirring within her. She was still tempted.

Emma decided to take it for what it was and push things further. Dealing with Cora would always be a threat for a good number of reasons. But a plan of action could help keep things from going too far astray.

"Okay. What's the plan?"

Regina was thankful for the question. Logic and focus could help keep her from the treacherous emotions that were beginning to hold sway. She considered the possibilities, as limited as they were.

"…Keep the focus on me. Directly. Keep monitoring her as best we can, while hinting that I may be open to joining her "as a family" if she can convince me. Perhaps most importantly, start working on your magic."

"I don't like this, Regina."

Regina's spine instantly straightened, her posture returning in response to the perceived threat. "Oh, really. Then please, Savior, tell me your plan. Tell me how you want to deal with my mother."

Emma knew where the anger was coming from and was not about to rise to the bait.

"Regina, I trust you."

All she got in return was a loud scoff, but that in itself was progress to Emma.

"I know you're not going to go back to her, Regina." She did know…She was like 90% percent sure. "I just don't like the waiting for her to act first. I don't like the idea of casualties in her efforts to win you over. And I _really_ don't like relying on my untrained magic to go against her, the most powerful witch since you left the position."

"You think I do? Do you think I want our chances to rely on a novice? But we cannot make our move until we know what game she is playing or this whole town could become a casualty." Her response was still snippy but underlying it all was understanding. This wasn't exactly ideal. But it was the only way.

Emma reluctantly accepted that she was right. Or at least more than Emma would ever be. "Alright. Tomorrow then. We visit Henry. We tell my parents what's going on. We start figuring out what else she's up to when she's not popping in on you in the middle of the night. And we start magical boot camp."

"Fine."

"Okay."

"Goodnight." Regina stood and drained what was left of her glass before turning to the door.

Even with the hour and the tone of their conversation and all the shit they had gone through and were sure to continue tomorrow, Emma didn't want to leave it like that.

"Regina," she asked softly, "Are you okay?"

She didn't know why she stopped. She didn't know why she turned to face the blonde still balanced on the edge of her couch. And she didn't know why she answered. Perhaps she was processing aloud. Perhaps she was struck by someone caring enough to ask.

"She's different. Maybe it's because I'm an adult, or because she did get what she wanted, but she's different."

Emma saw in Regina what she had felt every time she was sent to a new home. And it hurt more thinking that Regina would have to face reality yet again when Emma had finally got a family who loved her. Her real family.

"It's an act, Regina."

"I know," Regina snapped, her mood instantly returning. She wasn't going to fall for her mother's tricks. And she wasn't going to let the blonde pretend to know her, or her mother.

Emma still wouldn't fall into a fight. Regina may be pushing back, but Emma was smart enough to see it for what it was. The woman needed a friend, more than ever.

"Okay. 'Night."


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, rolling out of bed, Regina felt like she had just lain down. The nightmares, and the events of the evening, and the general lack of sleep, and the emotions and the confusion over her and her mother, her and Henry, her and Emma… None of it had boded well for her catching up on the hours she lost in the Enchanted Forest.

On mornings like these, she so desperately wanted to revert to her childhood tendencies to cling to sleep, but they had been drilled out of her (_laziness is not befitting a young lady, Regina_), and her sleep had never been very restful anyway. At least this morning she could look forward to seeing Henry. Even if it also meant she had to deal with the Charmings again. That was all together less appealing.

She went through her morning routine as usual, picking a suit of armor, specifically a nice tailored pair of pants and boots with a much sturdier heel—she wasn't planning on going through any portals today, but then again, she hadn't been planning to yesterday either.

Once again, she walked down the hall to Emma's room, intending to wake the Sheriff, but the blonde was already up and partway through getting ready. Emma's sleep hadn't been any more peaceful than Regina's, and by the time the sun came through the windows, she had realized there wasn't any use trying to go back to sleep. That didn't mean she didn't lie on Regina's impossibly comfy guest bed long after she was awake, trying to will the tired from her muscles.

Too surprised by the blonde to properly remember she was still a little miffed, Regina greeted her. "I'll put on some coffee."

"Thanks." Emma smiled. Maybe this friends thing would be easier than she thought. "I am gonna need it," she confirmed. "Maybe with a little Bailey's."

Off Regina's look, she cracked a grin. "What, too early?"

Regina marveled at how Emma managed to keep her humor even with everything they had to deal with. Even though she was appreciating it more and more, realizing how capable the blonde was of seriousness when she needed to be, with everything Emma had to learn, Regina thought it best to start their lessons now.

"It may surprise you, Miss Swan, but alcohol and magic do not mix well."

She turned to leave, but at the last moment, oddly energized by sharing her morning with someone again, even with someone she typically found infuriating, she tacked on, "Even if Bailey's and coffee does."

Emma, who had been properly cowed by her magic lesson chastisement, was now stifling a chuckle at Regina's sneaky aside. These moments where the woman shone through the Evil Queen were becoming more and more valuable to her.

Regina tried to cut off her pleased response to Emma's reaction by heading in a different direction. "Perhaps I can interest you in some food instead. I feel we may have cleaned out your parent's pantry last night."

This time, Emma made no effort to hide her enthusiasm.

"I get another one of your meals? Okay, maybe this magic training won't be so bad after all."

Regina smirked. Of course food would cure all.

"I thought the phrase was 'the way to a _man's_ heart is through his stomach?'"

Maybe it was the sleeplessness or reveling in their newfound détente, but the women found themselves goofier by the moment, Emma responding to Regina's teasing by striking he-man poses.

"What, I'm not man enough for you?"

Regina was laughing, softly but genuinely, when she instantly sassed, "More than enough."

Suddenly, they stopped. Not because it had been sincere or romantic, but because yet again Emma found herself wondering what it would be like to be in a real relationship with the Queen. And Regina had found the fault in her words as soon as they had fallen out of her mouth. She hurried to cover them up.

"…You're crude, brash, you walk like you're a new rider fresh off a galloping horse…"

Emma was glad for the recovery herself. They had too much to deal with to think about what might be hiding underneath that harmless comment. She could have done without the insults, though.

"Alright, alright, you've made your point."

* * *

After an elaborate breakfast the likes of which Emma had only ever had at restaurants, the pair headed back to Mary Margaret's apartment. Things had stayed a little awkward, but eventually they had settled into a comfortable silence between food and thinking about what lay ahead.

As soon as they opened the door, Henry bolted at them, greeting them both with hugs, happy that they had kept their promise to return but more that they had made it through the night unharmed.

Regina once again had to force her arms to loosen from Henry, knowing if she held too tight he'd recognize what he was doing and pull away, but feeling spoiled by the affection.

Emma watched her closely as she hugged her son, realizing once again how Regina just needed to be loved. How it was all about love.

"So, no news?" David had joined them at the door and clapped Emma on the shoulder, just as glad she made it through the night unharmed by the Evil Queen or her mother, but knowing she's be less amenable to a bear hug from him.

"Actually…" She paused, looking to Regina to continue. This was her story to tell.

"My mother came to me last night."

Emma was surprised by how quickly Regina had told their little crowd and without any resistance, but the people receiving the news were considerably more surprised by the content.

"What do you mean she came to you? What happened?" Snow responded furiously, torn between checking Emma over for wounds of some kind and wanting to blame Regina for something.

"Nothing! Nothing happened. Relax, Mary Margaret."

In trying to tame her mother's energy, she just gave her the time to focus it.

"Emma, you know Cora doesn't just stop in for a chat! There has to be a reason she didn't try anything." Snow charged towards the brunette who had remained unmoving since her big reveal. "Regina, what did you do?"

Emma ran up to her mother, hoping to keep her more than a few inches away from the former Evil Queen whose rage, and what Emma was recognizing as hurt, was bubbling just beneath the surface. "Whoa, whoa, hold on there, Mary Margaret. Regina didn't do anything."

Snow was still staring down her stepmother with a force from their old days in the Enchanted Forest. The only thing stopping her from taking Regina apart was the presence of her grandson.

"Henry, maybe you should go read your new comic now," she managed to growl out between clenched teeth.

As uncomfortable as Henry had been with the tension, he wasn't about to leave as things were getting interesting.

"But I wanna know what happened!"

Seeing the looks between Regina and Snow, Emma was prone to believe this wasn't the best place for a boy who was already inclined to hate his mother.

"You know, Henry, maybe it's for the best…"

"No."

It had all the command of a Queen, but none of the harshness Emma supposed Regina's orders used to have.

"He should stay. It's best he be informed. Information is always an advantage."

Regina was unusually calm, all things considered. Emma wouldn't have guessed that she wanted Henry involved. Or that she could manage her temper so expertly around the one person who was guaranteed to rile it more than Emma was. But Regina knew what she was doing. Having Henry there would buffer Snow's attacks because as little as she cared for Regina's relationship with her son, she did care about Henry's exposure to ugliness. For the same reason, Henry's presence would allow for Regina to keep the details of her mother's visit less specific. But most importantly, having Henry around was a reminder.

She would stay true to him. She would not be swayed by her mother.

Temporarily assuaged by Regina's tone, Snow backed off a little as Henry settled in by Emma's side. Regina took it as her cue to continue.

"My mother came to me alone and told me she wanted us—including Henry—to be a family. That was it. She did not interact with Emma."

This time it was David's turn to react, or more appropriately, overreact.

"You're planning on going along with it aren't you? Destroying everything to have Henry back?"

Regina didn't even flinch at the attack, but Emma had had enough.

"David! Why would she tell us what Cora said if that were true? Why would she tell us about Cora at all?" She ran her hands through her hair as she tried to work through everyone's apparent lack of logic. "Look, I know you all have…history, and tensions are high…but the new Regina has proven herself to you time and again and I think above everything else, you know she would never hurt Henry. And hurting the people Henry cares about would be hurting Henry."

As hard as she had been trying to appear immune to the Charming's attacks, she was not prepared for their daughter's support. She didn't even deserve it considering what she had thought of her mother's proposition. But Regina had to admit that it was nice to have the Sheriff firmly on her side for once. Being defended was an entirely new feeling. And a good one. Still, she wouldn't let it soften her guard.

"If those are all the interruptions," She paused haughtily for a moment, waiting for the Charmings anger to return to a low simmer. "My mother will destroy everything if she doesn't get what she wants, but there is no guarantee this is in fact what she wants. I will have to play along to find out the truth."

Snow scoffed. "So you are planning on going along with it. You'll just be deceiving us so we won't stop you. Well, think again, Regina."

Had there been swords, Snow and David's certainly would have been drawn, but Emma stepped between her parents and Regina in a move she had done a good many times before.

"Mom. Dad," she started as calmly as she could. "I'm not all that happy about this plan either, but Regina isn't lying to us. And she's right. If Cora thinks she's lost out all together, there's no telling what kind of damage she would do. We need Regina to try and temper her until we can figure out a real plan."

Snow knew that Emma was playing her with the "mom," but she did trust her daughter. At least enough to back off—for now.

"Is she gonna kidnap me, Mom?"

Emma had entirely forgotten Henry was still in the room, and his quiet demand all but broke her heart. No kid should have to go through this. Regina had immediately sprung to address him, bending down to his level, though as he had grown quite a bit recently, Emma couldn't help but notice that she looked like she was lowering herself for his forgiveness, still tentative on how much affection she could show. But Regina had forgotten all of the adults in the room. This conversation was just for her and Henry.

"I don't know, Henry." The words were uncertain. Emma was mesmerized by how quickly Regina could drop her front when Henry was involved. Regina had dipped her head, pausing, determining how to continue in a way that would best protect Henry without overly worrying him.

"Henry, my mother is a very dangerous woman. Anything you thought I might do as the Evil Queen, she will do worse. But she doesn't want to hurt you right now because she knows she will never have me if anything happens to you. That doesn't mean she won't try to get you for me on her own. If she does try, Henry, you have to go along with it. Don't try to fight her. You have to play a part, like I am. If she thinks you are on her side, she will keep you safe." Her voice, already low and serious dropped another interval as she searched Henry's eyes for recognition. "I know it's not right to lie, but she's a very bad woman."

"But—"

"Henry, you must go with her if she comes for you. Please." Regina's desperation for Henry's safety was not lost on anyone. If anything could keep her out of her mother's grasp, it was her son's well-being.

"Okay, Mom. I will."

Emma had never been so glad for Henry's lack of pre-teen rebellion. He understood what was happening, and that Regina wasn't the only one counting on his answer.

Regina released the breath she didn't realize she had been holding, but kept her arms tight at her sides to prevent herself from reaching out to hold him and never letting go.

"Thank you, Henry." She rose to her full height in turning back to the Charmings, any uncertainty and fear once again hidden expertly beneath the surface. "Henry will remain with you. But the same rules apply. If she comes for him, you must let her."

Snow and Charming had been uncomfortable with the idea of letting Henry play along, but this was insane.

"You can't possibly think we'd let that happen!" Charming was again reaching for his non-existent sword.

Regina could barely contain her contempt at the idiots in front of her.

"Did you not just hear what my 12-year-old son understood perfectly? She would never hurt him. She knows what he means to me. But she would hurt you. Easily. In fact, she may even think it a bonus. If she shows up here, your only chance of survival is if you concede to her demands."

"Regina, you are crazier than I ever imagined if you think I would let Henry go without a fight," Snow spat as she stood staring Regina down.

"How very noble of you, Snow. It seems you have learned from your mistakes."

The poison in her tone was tangible. Snow couldn't help but look to her now grown daughter. Emma herself wasn't sure how to respond to Regina's remark. Typically she would have brushed it off as one of Regina's usual attacks on her mom, but this time, she seemed as if she were actually angry for what Emma had gone through, how she couldn't imagine Snow giving up her own child. At the very least, she was tired of playing ref, and not a huge fan of the "let the evil psycho bitch have Henry" plan, so it was best to take a more direct approach.

"Regina, can I talk to you over here for a second?"

With a final glare to Snow, Regina willingly followed Emma to a corner of the apartment.

"Can you tell me if this is going to happen? Do we really have to give Cora Henry?"

Unthreatened by Emma's questions, and not aggravated for once, Regina responded much better to her.

"It's very unlikely. Mother would want me to be there when she made her move so I could see her defending me and "rescuing" Henry firsthand. She also knows that I will never have Henry's love—or more appropriately, his acquiescence—If I, or she, by proxy, hurt the people he loves..." Regina was unusually distracted, but as Emma stared, hoping for another glimpse into the brunette's heart, Regina regained her focus.

"But she has never backed down from a challenge."

Emma couldn't argue. In this case, Regina did know best. And it was really only for a day. Or hopefully. They'd have to go with it. She spoke up to address the rest of the room.

"Okay. Regina's right. We're all going to follow this plan. Alright? Mom? Dad?"

Emma made sure she saw her parents slowly dip their heads in acknowledgement. She was on thin ice here, but her word could get them to go along with it for at least a little while.

"Okay then. So are you three good together here? At least for the rest of the day?"

"Wait, you're not letting us do anything?" It was hard to tell whether Charming or Henry was more upset, but the words had come from the former King.

"Regina and I are gonna do some recon. Find out what Cora's been up to when she's not dropping in in the middle of the night. But we need you two to stay with Henry and generally stay out of trouble, even at the Sheriff's Office, because Dad, you know if you're out looking for her she's going to threaten you. And if she threatens you, you're gonna respond, and we already covered how that would be a bad thing. Then Regina's going to help me learn—"

She found herself jolted from her momentum by the remembrance that magic was not exactly embraced by the others in the room.

"—Regina's going to teach me magic."

This day was just filled with lovely surprises for the Charmings. And by the look on Henry's face, he was just as pleased as Emma had expected by the thought of his mother and magic. She was determined to make this go as smoothly as possible, so she kept talking before Henry even had a chance to open his mouth.

"Henry, your mom's been incredible. She didn't even use it back in the Enchanted Forest until we absolutely had to—and I used it, too."

That was enough to distract Henry from his stubborn disdain of Regina's practicing after she had promised him she wouldn't. Emma using magic without any training made her a magical being. And maybe that meant he was, too?

"You have magic, too?"

The hint of excitement in his voice made Emma hopeful that he could be persuaded but also disappointed that it was so easily done. Suddenly she had magic and he was all for it? His being contrarian to Regina would have to end eventually. And she would much prefer sooner rather than later.

"Yeah, kid, I do. And your mom is helping me learn. 'Cause Cora's a very powerful witch, and sometimes you've got to fight fire with fire, you know? Using my magic is the only way I'll be able to keep me and your mom and you safe. Just like everything else, there's a good and a bad side to everything, and this magic, this can be good."

Now Henry was fully invested in Emma's powers. This made sense, the Savior waging a magical battle against the Dark practitioners. This was Harry Potter!

"Sure your magic is good Emma! You're— "

"Nope, stop right there. Don't even think it." Emma had had enough of her glorified role to begin with, but now that it only reinforced Regina as the Evil Queen, she was even less pleased. Henry needed to understand that they were all just people. Flawed, broken people, because if he was going to see Regina's faults he should see hers, too.

"Your mom's magic and my magic are capable of the same things. And either you're okay with both of us having it, and I really hope you are because it's a part of me the same way that your hair being brown is a part of you, or you're not." Henry wasn't quite used to Emma's seriousness, and her tone had him rethinking his Harry Potter daydreams. Emma saw the change and knowing that she had finally gotten through to him, brought herself down to his level.

"Henry, I get that you're worried. And your mom may have used it for some bad things in the past, but that's how she was taught. You know the good she can do with it. And she's teaching me well. We're gonna keep each other in line. But we also need it because it will help us keep you safe, and that's the most important thing."

Henry took a moment, mulling Emma's words over before turning to face Regina who had once again been unexpectedly moved by Emma's words, struck by how the blonde managed to say exactly what was needed.

"You'll only use it to help?"

Emma cringed at Henry's double standard, but Regina seemed positively floored by Henry's acquiescence and moved a step closer to answer.

"Of course, Henry. I promise."

Henry accepted her answer in the way that some children seem as wise as some mountaintop sage before turning back to Emma.

"And you'll be careful?"

"The most. I've got a great teacher. It'll be okay, Henry."

With a moment's more consideration, Henry made his decision.

"Okay, I guess."

"Thanks, kid." She gave him a hug. Emma was immediately relieved. So it hadn't gone perfectly, but it could have gone way worse. Besides, Regina was smiling, actually smiling, and Emma had found she liked that expression best of all.

Despite all the surprises of the day, Snow and Charming might have been most perturbed by their daughter's unwavering support for their enemy. Snow had seen Emma's powers first hand but she had hardly seemed ready to embrace them before. Now not only did she want to learn, she wanted to learn from Regina? Cora did call for desperate measures, but Emma didn't seem desperate. She seemed glad to learn—up to the challenge.

Not wanting to question Emma's motives lest she push her daughter further into Regina's camp, Snow quietly questioned on the subject of magic instead.

"You can control it, Emma?"

Emma looked to Regina with an expression that held more than a few shared stories.

"I'm working on it. That's what the training is for. I have a feeling I'm gonna need it." Trying not to let the impending doom of a magical battle with Cora sink in, Emma turned to her tried and true humor—and a way to escape this odd family gathering.

"Anyway, none of you can be around for that in case I accidentally start turning you into toads."

Regina made no effort to contain her eye roll. "Magic does not work like that, Miss Swan."

Sensing this magical training could be fun after all, Emma flashed Regina a grin.

"I guess we better get started then, 'cause I've got a lot to learn"

Moving towards the door together, both pleased by the prospect of leaving the apartment, the women were only stopped from saying their goodbyes by David asking a final question.

"Will you at least tell us where you are going to start?"

Emma glanced to Regina, as much in the dark as her father. Regina sighed.

"As much as I hate to consider it, I think we're going to have to start with the pirate."


	5. Chapter 5

Leaving the apartment after Henry and her parents had given Emma a warm goodbye, and Regina reveled in the brief hug that Henry had granted her, the women set off in search of Hook.

As anomalous as it was, their partnership went unnoticed as they walked through the streets of town-they were emptier than usual with the news of Cora having spread. Most of the citizens of Storybrooke didn't know Cora save the few in the older generation who had heard of her own rise to power and the few from the younger that had heard tales of a crazy Queen in a place called Wonderland. But everyone knew that someone magical enough to impersonate Regina and conjure Archie's dead body was not someone they cared to be around.

Just how evil was the Evil Queen's mother?

They walked in silence, matching the streets around them. Regina had wanted to say something, to thank Emma for her help with Henry, for her support, but if she wanted to thank her, that meant that she had appreciated it, and appreciating it meant that it was wanted, or worse, needed, and that was not something she was willing to accept. Emma had expected nothing from the brunette, content to allow her unhindered thoughts until they reached the road towards the ocean.

"Might as well start at the docks?"

"I suppose so." Regina allowed her mind to turn to the slimy turncoat they were seeking.

"Though the only reason I can think of why he hasn't made his move yet is because he is still attached to my mother somehow."

Emma scoffed. Hook was attached to whatever could benefit him the most.

"Yeah, well, I think we can change his alliances."

"Even if we do, if she's nearby, she'll know, and it won't help us."

Regina was direct, bordering on dismissive, but Emma was getting even better at reading the poised brunette beside her and could see her eyes were tinged with fear.

"We'll play it safe. Don't—" She paused. She couldn't say, "don't worry" because who was she to tell Regina that, and she knew that both of them would worry anyway because this was Cora, and even with Emma's True Love magic they were in for some dangerous shit. She tried a different tack.

"You know her, Regina. I'm starting to get a sense of her. We can figure this out."

Regina was still wary but intrigued by the blonde's not pure optimism but reasoned determination. This wasn't "love will find a way" like her idiotic parents, this was "we have the tools to fight and we're going to win."

She was going to respond when they turned the corner of the pier to find the pirate standing straight off of a Captain Morgan label, taking swigs of rum. Spotting them, he hollered his greetings as they approached.

"Looking for your mother, your Majesty? You're out of luck." He leaned forward as he continued, the disdain in his tone replaced with sleaziness. "But you, Swan, what are you doing here? Looking for me, perhaps? Wanted a second go around with my sword? Most women do."

Emma was mid-gag when Regina spit out her response for her.

"Shut up, pirate."

His focus returned to the brunette, Hook didn't lose any of his innuendo, just as happy to imagine a torrid rendezvous with the beautiful former Queen.

"Ah, the Evil Queen is lacking a bit of her usual sway. Or perhaps you are jealous, your Majesty? It is a shame we never had a chance for some proper swordplay—perhaps you'd like a try for yourself? I do hear your moves are exquisite. Though I'm sure I could get you on your back."

This time, Emma was the one to recover, already feeling in need of a shower. "Ew, Hook. God. Does anyone ever go for that? Or do you just practice double entendres on yourself in the mirror?"

"Miss Swan, you've wounded me." Hook grasped at his heart as he straightened from his perch and bridged the final gap between them. "If it isn't my charm or good looks, and it isn't your mother, than what does bring you ladies down here?"

"We need information." Regina wished she had thought of something to hold over him to make this questioning less painful for them and more, way more, for him.

"And you think I am going to give it to you?" He derided. "Have you got me wrong, love. I'll admit that I have a soft spot for Swan here, but being left at the top of a beanstalk will temper that sort of thing."

"Hey, you helped Cora with Aurora and tried to keep us from getting back here, so I think we're pretty much even." Emma was not in the mood to play games with a pirate. Would it really be so hard for him to act like a normal person the majority of the time? She knew she had seen some redeeming qualities along the way, though they were increasingly difficult to remember.

As expected, he almost instantly reverted to gracious flexibility.

"Touché. I've never been much for loyalty after all. Ask, and I shall consider."

Emma couldn't help but start with the obvious. "Why are you here, Hook?"

He chuckled, still charmed by the blonde. "I believe your scowling yet lovely companion already knows the answer to that one, Swan."

Emma turned to look at Regina, whose frown only deepened as she considered his response.

"You're here for your crocodile?"

"Excellent surmise, love. Looks like you're still at the top of your game." Hook was gleeful, but Emma was more in the dark than before they had started talking to him.

"Crocodile?"

Emma's expression perfectly matched one that Henry had sported countless times before. Regina found herself instantly treating the blonde with the patience she typically only afforded her son.

"Gold. As Rumplestiltskin, he had a sort of…scaly look about him."

"Why do you want to kill Gold?"

That Regina could explain later. They had already spent too much time for her liking in the pirate's company. She took over the interrogation.

"Why haven't you done it yet?"

"Ah, now there's the real question. Your mother, your Majesty." Hook took real delight in the blonde's confusion but more in the brunette's.

"I hear the reptile will be quite easy to deal with once he is over your town line, but Cora won't even let me have a go until she can get her precious daughter back."

"Cora doesn't want you to kill Gold—which by the way, we're coming back to—until she has Regina back? Why would that make any sense?" Emma was increasingly displeased with the fairly common sensation that came from fairy tale characters only making things more complicated for her.

"Uh, uh, uh, Swan, I think I've afforded you more than your fair share of questions. Unless you were inclined to continue this conversation in a more comfortable setting? Perhaps in my quarters?"

Emma was not having it. A wicked witch wanted to steal her son to manipulate the one person other than him she needed to help. She probably wanted to destroy the town. And she could only be stopped by Emma's untried magic, that, by the way, she still had to get used to the idea of. The lack of sleep and random portal travel wasn't helping either. And now, yet another sleazebag was trying to keep her from her work and get her into bed.

Her bondsperson instincts kicked in as she grabbed him by the collar.

"Look, Hook, you better start talking—"

"Let him go."

Emma was very surprised to find Regina's hand covering her fist, the brunette looking at her calm but determined.

"He's not worth the effort."

Emma did let go, but was not about to leave things the way they were.

"But, Regina—"

Regina took Emma's arm to pull her slightly to the side, and the proximity was not lost on the blonde when Regina started quietly.

"He's playing us. He doesn't know any more than we do. And I'd rather not spend a minute more in his presence lest I feel the need for more bathing than I already do. Gold can take care of himself if Hook does decide to try something without Cora's blessing, but if she truly is preventing him from it, she'll kill him first."

Regina let go of her hold only when she had felt the fight fade from Emma, which was new to them both. They had gotten closer in the Enchanted Forest, but ever since their return, the comforting effect they had on each other had grown. Something had shifted. Something they would have to talk about when death wasn't so imminent.

Accepting Regina's assessment, Emma changed tactics, almost purring in her dismissal.

"Alright, Hook. No more questions. But if you ever come across something you think might be useful to me, you may want to consider sharing it." Once again, it was her previous job's training that came in handy when trying to con something out of a crass drunk by acting open to his advances.

Hook was swayed by the posturing, forgetting all about being manhandled just seconds before.

"Of course, anything for you, love." He winked and headed back to the column he had been standing on before, resuming his position and his drinking as the women walked away underwhelmed by their fact-finding mission.

Once they had reached the end of the piers, Emma turned to questioning her companion.

"So. Any theories?"

Regina was flustered. She had been trying to figure out her mother's logic since Hook had spilled what he knew, but once again it seemed she was lost in her mother's elaborate machinations.

"No. I have no idea why she would want to keep the pirate around. Or why she would want to keep him from killing Gold. Or why Hook would even agree to these terms."

Regina's lack of an answer and apparent distress at the fact was more than a little unsettling. Emma had hoped for more success from this trip, mostly because she couldn't bear the alternative of Cora permanently having the advantage. Worse was, there was nothing she could do to help. If Regina couldn't figure her mother out, there was no way Emma would be able to.

"Does he have something? I mean, is there anything he could do that could do that would make you have to join her? Does he know anything she could use against you? Against the town?"

Normally Regina would have balked at the impertinence, the prying, but Emma presented a valid point. Still, Regina knew better than to reveal anything to the pirate that he could sell to the highest bidder, and there certainly wasn't any personal connection there.

"No. He has nothing. There's no reason she should be working with him. The only reason to keep him from killing Rumplestiltskin is to keep him from killing Rumplestiltskin."

"You mean like she just went back on their deal because she needed to promise him something to get him to take her here? Or to help her with Archie? But she doesn't want Gold dead because she, I don't know, likes him? Needs an evil ally?"

Regina considered this for a moment. Her mother and Rumple had been close, but that was a long time ago, and neither looked too fondly on betrayal.

"Maybe. She certainly wouldn't care about breaking her deal with Hook…but I don't think she wants Rumplestiltskin around just for the sake of it."

Emma sensed Regina's hesitation and saw there was a history there she didn't even begin to understand. But then she remembered. How Regina's introduction to Gold had been through her mother's book. How Gold had helped her send her mother off into Wonderland. And how despite the whole evil thing, that didn't seem like the kind of thing a former mentor did. That seemed like the kind of thing a former lover did. Emma shuddered at the thought.

"They weren't…?" She couldn't bring herself to say the word, but the meaning was clearly implied. Regina was even more disgusted.

"No!" Her answer was as forceful as it had been all morning, but with the seed planted, she couldn't help note the plausibility of it, even off of the little she knew. "No, they—I don't think they were," she softened for a moment before returning to her convictions.

"Anyway it wouldn't matter. There is no love lost between him and my mother. He's the one who wanted me to banish her to Wonderland in the first place."

Emma accepted this. Especially because it meant she wouldn't have to think anymore about Gold's love life with his female counterpart.

"So why would she need him alive?"

They were back at the beginning. And with nowhere else to go to find answers.

"I don't know. But it is part of her plan."


	6. Chapter 6

"You've managed grand things under strenuous circumstances, Miss Swan, but it is always best to start with the basics."

Regina had set up shop for their magic lessons in her backyard after they had spent lunch willfully forgetting the situation with Cora's grand design. It had been oddly easy, both women wanting nothing more than a few moments of normality and both willing to hide whatever could disrupt that illusion. It didn't hurt that Emma once again had got to enjoy a meal of Regina's as the brunette found comfort in her cooking. But now Emma was grumpy again. Talking about magic meant they had to be thinking about Cora, and in Regina's makeshift studio with candles and assorted other mystical objects, Emma couldn't ignore just how much she had to learn.

"C'mon, Regina, we don't exactly have a lot of time here. Can't we jump forward a couple of lessons?"

Regina was none too pleased with the Sherriff's whining and had been straining at the limits of her patience, when she suddenly realized that this mother was a lot like her son.

And she knew exactly how to deal with her son.

"Fine. If you can light this candle right now, we'll "jump" ahead."

Emma's face lit up. She could do this! Then she'd be a master witch in no time. (She was a witch, right? That's how you would categorize her? She felt she might actually have to discuss these life changes with someone when all of this was over.)

"I just have to light it?"

Regina couldn't help but smile at the Sheriff's childlike enthusiasm even though she knew how it would end.

"The simplest task in the book."

"Okay! Okay." Emma focused in, staring squinty-eyed at the wick, leaning forward, trying to light it with her mind. Watching the effort, Regina actually found herself on the verge of laughing. Though the fact that she needed this woman's power to help with her mother and that Miss Swan didn't seem to consider any of the things she had taught her up to that point, her good humor quickly faded to impatience.

"Any day now, Miss Swan."

Emma didn't remember this being so hard…then again, every other time she had done magic, it had been a direct result of coming in contact with other magic. And they had been substantial events. Maybe it was harder on a smaller scale?

She threw a few more flinty glares at the wick but there wasn't even a spark. She slumped.

"Ugh, fine, Regina, you win."

"So glad you agree." Regina was always happy to win. But this time she wished she had been wrong. They had quite a lot to accomplish, no matter how powerful Emma was.

"Starting at the beginning, since apparently you have the retention of a goldfish…"

* * *

They worked all afternoon and into the evening, Emma making great progress as a diligent student despite the many setbacks and frustrations. Regina had to admit that while the blonde's patience was often lacking, her determination and drive never were. Emma wouldn't stop until she had mastered everything Regina gave her, and they might have ended up working well into the night had the Charmings not called to check in.

Their exhaustion settling in, Emma and Regina agreed to end their lessons for the time being, and Emma went home to eat with the Charmings and Henry, checking up on their son and Sheriff's Office affairs. Though Henry had not asked for Regina over the phone outside of a passing question on her well-being that was much too blasé to actually be indifferent, Emma had invited her along anyway. She felt more comfortable when the brunette was around and not just because it was easier to keep an eye on her. She was beginning to enjoy her company, her wit and the repartee that always made her feel smarter, the glimpses into her past, the moments where it felt Regina liked her company, too. She wasn't at all surprised when Regina turned down the offer, knowing that the former Queen was likely sick of spending all of her time with her, and that another dinner with her parents wouldn't be possible without someone getting injured—especially when Henry had not specifically requested her presence.

So Emma left the Mayor's mansion alone, promising to return in time for bed, since with no move on Cora's part, they should stick to the same plan, and Regina watched her go, expecting to feel some relief at losing her golden retriever for a few hours.

Instead, she thought about upping the thermostat a few degrees.

* * *

Emma returned late that evening. Snow and Charming still weren't happy about her spending nights at Regina's but it was clearly non-negotiable. Snow had tried to send her back with some leftovers, and Emma almost laughed. Her mother's heart was in the right place, but anyone who even kind of knew Regina would know how offensive she would find the gesture. Someone else's table scraps? Her, a charity case? Emma wondered how much her mother's inability to read her former step-mother had contributed to the disaster that was their relationship.

Instead, she brought back a bottle of whiskey she had been keeping around. Alcohol and magic may not mix, but at least when the magic was over, they could get smashed.

Regina greeted her at the door, rolling her eyes at the bottle, but stepping aside to let her in.

"I know, I remember, no alcohol and magic, but I figure we could at least use something to look forward to."

Regina decided not to comment on Emma's recent enthusiasm for this particular vice, seeing as she had often considered the same thing herself. Emma got the judgment from the silence just the same and decided to continue on, hoping to avoid the lingering awkwardness when they were alone with nothing in particular to focus on.

"David said nothing happened that could give us any information today, unless your mom has decided enlisting some teens to commit minor vandalism is part of her plan. And Henry would like to see you in the morning—" Emma may have been exaggerating Henry's enthusiasm for Regina's benefit, but it was so worth it to see her hope shine through. "He wants us to come over and update him on our progress. I think my parents have been indulging his desire to play General. Sorry."

"No, no need to apologize," Regina cut in. "Henry probably had an operation name chosen as soon as he found out about my mother. It was unavoidable." She laughed to herself considering her son's predictability. She had spent her evening alone sitting in Henry's room. She shouldn't have, considering how painful it was, but it had seemed preferable to sitting alone at her kitchen counter. She couldn't even bring herself to have dinner in the dining room, the table foreboding without her son—and his biological mother. "You weren't like this as a child, were you?"

She wasn't sure where the question had come from, but she suddenly found herself wanting to know all about Emma—and how much of her Henry had inherited. Emma was taken aback that Regina would want to know about her at all, Henry or not. As much as she could see the brunette becoming more comfortable with her around, she certainly hadn't made an effort to bond.

"I—no, not really. I mean, I liked to pretend." Emma was uncomfortable talking about her past, but it was because of that that she felt the need to continue. Regina had revealed so much of herself—unwillingly—it was the least Emma could do to share a little. "I never had operations like Henry does, but sometimes, I'd be a spy tracking enemy agents or an undercover police officer, living with my foster families because they had to be investigated, brought to justice."

Emma found herself staring at her feet by the time she had finished speaking. Like mother like son after all. But she didn't want Regina to feel like she was anywhere near those foster parents. She didn't want her to know about those parents at all. This whole being open thing was less and less appealing by the moment, especially as she realized Regina could ask a whole host of questions because that's what Emma would have done, but also because Emma had told her she could ask whatever she wanted. She had exposed her weakest spot to the most expert combatant while simultaneously providing her reason to attack. But Regina paused. Long enough that Emma looked up to meet her eyes and saw a glimmer of pain, understanding, and what she only could think was gratitude.

"I suppose you were destined to become Sheriff, then."

Emma smiled. Savior she still couldn't get her head around, but she could handle being destined for Sheriff. Besides, Regina had joked—her typical wry humor—but not intended to harm, and Emma could not have been more relieved. But she still used the opportunity to head straight for safer ground.

"So, tomorrow, we'll come up with something to tell him. Unless we figure out what Cora wants Gold for between now and then." The moment she had said it, Emma realized that was a very real possibility. "Do you think she'll come again tonight?"

"It's likely." Regina was resigned to it. Her mother would make an appearance between then and the dawn, if only to keep her off balance.

Emma couldn't even begin to think about how much that would suck. The thought of Mary Margaret (who she trusted and liked) appearing randomly in her bedroom while she slept was enough to give her the willies. And Cora was no Mary Margaret.

"Should I stay up? Are you going to wait for her? Do you want to talk? I could keep you company, if you're not sick of me, or if it would be okay for appearances—"

"Miss Swan—" Regina stopped, shutting her eyes and gathering her emotions, and softened. "Emma. I appreciate the sentiment. But I think we're both tired, and spending the night talking would leave me in no position to deal with my mother."

Emma acquiesced easily to this newly calm and reasonable Regina. Considering all she had to deal with, the brunette was doing an extraordinary job keeping herself in check.

What Emma didn't realize was that she didn't have the energy to do anything else. To feel these emotions, to rage at her situation—she was just too tired.

"You're right. We're gonna get the chance to really talk one day, though. Don't think there's always going to be a crisis to offer you a valid excuse."

"Well, _Doctor_ Swan. I didn't realize you were so in tune with sharing your feelings."

"I'm not. I was scolding myself. No more excuses for me. I owe you some major share-age."

Emma had been playing it fast and loose with her comments, she knew, especially when she felt Regina's anger flare, but it had all been worth it to go to bed with the image of Regina's little smile fresh in her mind.

"Goodnight, Regina. If you need me—"

"—I know where you'll be. Goodnight, Emma."

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry it's a little short-I've never been much good at long chapters, but I particularly wanted to keep the next bit separate-I might try and post it later today to make up for it!


	7. Chapter 7

Falling asleep from sheer exhaustion, it wasn't long before Regina once again awoke with a start.

Cora was sitting on the edge of her bed, by her feet, almost as if Regina had dozed off in the middle of a bedtime story.

"I know I said I would wait for you to come to me," she spoke breathlessly, as if she had run all the way there to deliver the good news, "but I know how to get your boy for you."

Regina considered the statement. She did wonder. If anyone could come up with a plan for Henry it would be her mother. Though it very likely would be very unpleasant for most parties involved, and Regina was determined to remain strong. Her mother's plan, whatever it was, would be no way to win back Henry's love.

"Mother, there's no way…Henry will never willingly leave the people he loves, and unwillingly…he'll hate me. I can't do that to him. I can't do that to me."

"I know, darling, which is why I have a plan." She smiled in anticipation of her big reveal. "We'll get rid of them."

Regina's heart sank. Why had she even dared to hope? Death was her mother's forte. And she had to stop her.

"Mother, Henry will never come back to me if I, or you, hurt anyone he loves. That includes Snow White. We cannot kill them."

Cora reveled in her daughter's refusal, bolstered by the poorly hidden disillusionment.

"Oh, but my dearest, your thinking is so limited! Where's your determination? Your thirst for revenge?" She purred, inching her way towards her daughter. "There is a way to keep you entirely blameless for the tragic ends of Snow and her Charming and their precious daughter. And when they are gone, Henry will have no one to turn to but the mother that he loves."

Regina was beginning to recognize that she didn't want Emma gone at all, but she couldn't help her curiosity at her mother's words.

"How?"

Cora grinned as she saw her daughter snap up the bait. The sell wouldn't be difficult at all.

"The Dark One, darling."

Regina froze. She couldn't tell whether she was glad or disappointed her mother's plan was indeed flawed.

"Gold may be a sick son of a bitch, but he would never kill the idiots. Or try to kill the Savior. Especially if it could help me in any way."

Cora sneered. "Ah yes, dear, but you forget. He does not have to be willing."

Regina's confusion grew, adding to the twisted knot forming in the bottom of her stomach. She hadn't been able to predict any part of this—but instead of worrying about what that meant for defeating her, she found herself being drawn into her mother's snare.

"…What do you mean?"

Cora's eyes glinted in the moonlight. This was it. Regina would be hers soon enough.

"Find his dagger, control the Dark One."

Regina took in a little gasp. That explained Hook, why her mother wouldn't let him chase his crocodile.

It could work. In theory. Rumple killing the whole Charming line…Henry knew he was a villain—it wasn't inconceivable that Gold would kill to advance whatever cause he had in mind.

It could work.

"That's what you wanted him alive for? To help me?" Regina couldn't help the hope building back up. It was perverse, but it was her mother's love.

"Of course, dear, haven't I been saying that all along? I want nothing more than to help you be happy. And I know that your happiness is your son, and you have been unfairly torn from him. I just want you to have him back. Like I want you back."

Regina felt her defenses crumbling away. To be teamed with her mother…to have Henry all to herself…it was more than appealing. It was her happiness. She had to remove herself before there was nothing left to hold her back.

"Mama, I…"

"It's alright, darling," Cora comforted, so entirely pleased by how well she had played her daughter. Enough to even overwhelm her displeasure at having raised a naïve, loving fool. "I know it won't be easy forgiving me, but could you try? Could you try for me like you hope your boy is trying for you?"

"I…" Regina hesitated. "I think I could. " She was reduced to being five again, before she truly understood that things with her mother would never change, when she still believed in fairies and wishes and her mother's love.

"Oh darling, I'm so glad to hear that." Cora beamed. Looking to remove any last possible obstacles, she placed her hand on Regina's shoulder, and meeting no resistance, brought her in for an awkward hug. She knew Regina needed it, but Cora was by no means comfortable with it.

Regina was dazed, as if her mother's arms were a narcotic. It was awkward, even a little cold, but it was all she wanted. All she ever wanted. Her mother's embrace. And suddenly all of her planned resistance melted away. She would let her mother do anything for her. A little voice in the back of her head said that didn't include letting her hurt Emma and that killing Snow and Charming would in fact constitute hurting her, but that didn't matter right now. It couldn't matter.

Cora practically had to push her away, ending their embrace after no more than a few seconds, but Regina was convinced. She could see it. And she was glad all of her years of preparation had proved useful. Regina was just as easily manipulated as ever. She would have to thank Rumple before she killed him.

"Well, my darling, shall we get started?"

"Yes, Mama…" Regina replied, still somewhat unsteady, "But I have to see Henry first. He asked for Emma and me to come over in the morning."

"Of course, Regina. It will be in our best interest to keep up appearances, as they are, for as long as possible. And we wouldn't want to break a promise to Henry."

Regina gave a little smile at her mother's apparent care for her son, but Cora couldn't help but taste the repugnant name in her mouth. Her husband had been a spineless excuse for a royal, a necessary evil on her rise to power. She had never understood Regina's affection for him.

"Henry. What an interesting choice for a name. What an interesting choice to have a child at all, Regina. And not of your own blood!"

For the first time in ages, Regina felt ashamed of her shortcoming, once again feeling she had let her mother down. And Cora counted on that guilt and her ability to relieve it to reinforce their new bond.

"I…I couldn't conceive." Regina unconsciously smoothed the silk of her pajamas over her stomach, remembering her forgotten desires.

Cora once again played on her daughter's need for contact, rubbing her knee consolingly.

"Oh, darling, I know."

"You do?" Regina looked up wide-eyed. She assumed her mother would have guessed from her having adopted on her own, but this was certainty. Cora knew something Regina didn't.

"I do sweetheart, and it's not your fault."

"It's not? But how…?"

"Well, darling, before you were married I gave you…a little something in the way of protection, shall we say."

"What?" Regina felt the bile rising in the back of her throat, unwilling to believe what she was rapidly determining to be true.

"It was not supposed to be permanent, darling. I did not want you to have to give that horrid Leopold the male heir he desired."

"You…you did this to me?" Regina could barely spit the words out, her rage and anguish tearing through her body.

"My darling girl, I didn't want for you to have to dethrone your own child." Things were not going as smoothly as Cora had hoped. Her daughter's temper was bubbling to the surface, and what was worse, she was losing the fear that was always present in their interactions.

"I had always meant to reverse the spell after you were unchallenged as Queen, though as you know, I was a little indisposed," Cora intoned, hoping the return to guilt could help.

"But now we are reunited, you shall not worry. I will return you to your proper self as soon as we return to our land."

"You."

The words couldn't even come out, stuck in the back of her throat. All of those nights of extra visits from Leopold. All of those horrid old world treatments that had her in bed for hours, that kept her from riding, that made her gag from the smell. All of the looks from the women of the court, the glares and jibes and perhaps the worst, the looks of pity, of fear on her behalf. Of course her mother had influenced everything even without being in the same realm. Of course she had. And of course Regina had fallen for her dirty manipulation once again. She hated herself. Despised herself for being so desperate. So easily played. And never learning. Never, ever learning. Was she really so easily swayed? All it took was a fake hug? She wanted to tear her insides out and stuff them back in again. She wanted to throw her body, her fists, her feet into a cement wall until it broke or she bled. But right now, most of all, she needed her mother gone. Because if she stayed, there was a good chance that Regina was so broken she'd fall right back into whatever trap her mother set for her. And it would hold her just as tightly as any of her enchanted restraints.

"Get out." The strength it took her to say those two words was more than she had ever used. The fear she overcame, greater.

"What, Regina…" Cora was flustered. This wasn't supposed to happen. She had her. It was done.

"Get. Out. Right now." Regina used every tingling nerve in her body to stand and growl out, the rage spilling out from inside of her.

"Regina, darling-"

"_Leave_."

Cora did everything she could to rein in her fury. She should just whip the girl into submission. But her darling girl was a grown woman now. A former Evil Queen herself. And as this so spectacularly backfired conversation showed her, harsh reality was not going to work. Not now. Her best bet was still in the comforting mother figure. She could be patient. This was not over.

She rose from the edge of the bed, summoning her own regal command.

"I understand you're upset, darling. Of course I will go, if that's what you want. I only want you happy. Just remember your promise to me. I love you, dear."

For the first time in her life, Regina saw those words for the empty lie they were, and as her mother vanished in a cloud of purple smoke, her knees gave out.

She collapsed to the floor, whispering to the air around her, the last words she could manage before bursting into sobs.

"I love you, Mother."


	8. Chapter 8

Emma had sensed something was wrong. More wrong than Cora making an appearance, which meant that it was really bad. And though she had promised herself she would wait for Regina to come to her like she had the previous night, she had felt the magic leave but still heard sounds, so she edged out of her room and padded down the hall, hoping that Regina wouldn't kill her for intruding, until she reached the door of the master suite and heard it. Muffled crying. Bawling. She didn't care if Regina killed her any more. She couldn't let her suffer like that.

She ran in, spotting the brunette slumped on the floor, who looked up shocked at Emma's entrance, but not enough to stop or try to hide. In fact, she just cried harder. And Emma was spurred to her side. Regina was in no position to talk. She could barely breathe. But Emma could be there. She could sit with her. So she dropped down beside the brunette, simply sitting side-by-side, until it felt too strange not to be doing anything, although the alternative was certainly stranger for them.

After a minute or so of listening to Regina's painful sorrow, Emma went for it anyway, rubbing her palm between the brunette's shoulder blades and hushing her, taking deep breaths for Regina to imitate instead of her harried gulps of air.

Eventually Regina's breathing returned to normal, even as the tears continued to stream down her face despite her concentrated effort, so ashamed of letting Emma see her like this, of letting her mother have this effect on her, of having tears left at all to mourn her disgrace of a life.

Emma clearly wanted to ask what had happened to lead to her spectacular breakdown, but she wasn't going to. She was already amazed that Regina had let her stay so long, and she wasn't going to do anything to break that.

Regina saw her curiosity anyway, and debated what to say. She had to say something. Her natural inclination was towards a curt dismissal. An unspoken demand that the blonde never mention this again lest she want to find herself the subject of a sleeping curse. But even stronger was her visceral need to talk to someone. To actually talk to someone, spill the acid that had torn up her insides for years and years. And Emma was that only someone. The only one she would ever consider opening up to since so much of her had been ripped open already.

But she was restrained by the utter fear of losing her.

Emma was her shaky tether to the world, and if she lost her, she would be led straight back to Cora. Or to nothingness. Because she loved Henry too much to put him through that. He could survive—he could be happy—without her.

Still, there was too much risk involved to give Emma the whole truth. But at the very least, she should give her the information they had been hoping to find.

"I found out why she wanted Rumple alive."

Emma was startled by the quiet and dangerously low voice after minutes of only sniffles and shallow breathing, but she didn't press, knowing that Regina needed to direct this. No matter what happened the woman was crying in her arms, so she would be there for her. Even if she weren't, even if Regina had clammed up and were Miss Swanning her and pushing her away, Emma made a promise. More than one. And she would keep them.

"The Dark One…" Regina sputtered. Emma had been exposed to quite a bit of their realm, but this, that a man she had interacted with was literally the embodiment of evil, and that Regina was often found worse than him for reasons she didn't care to consider...this might be difficult. "Rumplestiltskin contains the most powerful dark magic in our realm. A force called the Dark One that inhabits a once-human soul." She paused, managing to sound merely explanatory between her tears, allowing Emma the opportunity to comment or question. But the blonde didn't take it for once. She sat waiting patiently for Regina to continue.

"He can be controlled by a magic dagger. The only dagger—the only weapon—that can kill its host."

It was becoming more difficult to hide as she went on, her explanations leading directly to the truth, to the plan that Regina had so recently considered, and to what she supposed would be Emma's last moments by her side. But she couldn't stop now. Emma would learn the truth, that her heart was as dark as everyone said.

"My mother wanted us to find this dagger to control Gold and make him kill you and your parents. So that I could have Henry to myself with none of the blame."

As soon as she the quiet words reached her ears, Emma knew. She heard the longing.

Regina had considered it.

As much as she expected her temper to flare, her anger at the Evil Queen and disappointment in the Mayor—It wasn't happening. Cora's plan would've made everything right for Regina. To have her mom and her son and no threat of either leaving again? Hell, that would make everything right for Emma. They both just wanted family. And as odd as it was for her to think it, Emma realized Regina was having a much harder time than she was at getting one. Besides, this crying wasn't an act. Regina could pull off many illusions, but there was no way this would be one of them. Vulnerable was not her go to. So yes, the anger wasn't there as she realized with pride that the brunette had stood up to her mother, refused the easy way, and perhaps for the first time didn't succumb to the manipulation. But there was a little hurt. As much as she knew she annoyed Regina, Emma couldn't help but think they were at least friends after all they had gone through together—did Regina not care enough to want to keep her alive?

Still, she said nothing, simply observing the woman beside her, running her fingertips in light circles over her back. She couldn't remember a time when she had ever done this with anyone. She had never been much of a comforter, preferring all emotional moments be spent alone. But this—with Regina—felt so natural.

Regina noticed. On paper, everything about the situation was so wrong, so uncomfortable, so unnatural for her and for the blonde. But it wasn't. It wasn't at all. She was impressed by and grateful for the blonde's calming presence and patience. Her stomach was unsurprisingly tense, still sick over losing her control in front of Emma, but the fear of losing her had edged off. She was not being judged, even if Emma knew that she had considered her mother's offer. More than considered. But Regina had to say it out loud. The masochist in her had to push the balance, push Emma away.

"I agreed to it…to give her a chance."

The words were so quiet, Emma didn't know whether she was meant to hear them at all.

"Regina—"

"I wouldn't have hurt you."

"—I understand."

Their words had tangled in the air, but both recipients had heard them clearly. And both were shocked. Regina did care about her after all. And Emma wasn't budging.

"How? How could you possibly…?" Her confused wonder quickly turned to anger. There was no way Emma would act like this without some sort of plan. "What are you playing?"

"Regina, I don't have any angle here!" She turned fully to face the brunette, knowing that she had to get through to her before the anger took over and there was no one left to help.

"I—I understand. I understand because it's easy. It's everything, and in your head—It's not so awful. It's not so awful you thought about it."

"But I didn't just think of it! I agreed! I would have done anything she asked of me! Anything to have Henry to myself! To have her!" Regina was breathing heavily again, her tears flowing as her anger so easily turned against herself.

Emma paused in consideration, resuming her contact on body-warmed silk, knowing she wouldn't convince Regina of her lack of wrongdoing, but thinking she could remind her of her own restraint.

"What changed?" Her question was genuine, her one way to broach whatever happened that had caused Regina to fall apart so spectacularly, considering how well she had held her guard together through all sorts of hell before.

Regina had been waiting for the question, any question from the blonde, the moment where she would have to decide how to continue, whether she, the Evil Queen, caster of curses, would share her turmoil willingly. Whether she could tell someone something no one else knew.

"She…"

As Regina struggled to continue, Emma realized the flaw in her questioning. Refusing to be pushed away was one thing. But she couldn't push back.

"Regina, you never have to tell me anything. Not if you don't want to. But I'm here. And I'm not leaving. Not even if you are still conspiring to kill my parents. And maybe me." Emma couldn't help but smile at the absurdity of it all. This woman had in fact tried to kill her parents, multiple times, but sitting in her pajamas on the floor of her suburban mansion, Emma thought a kitten would be less threatening. Her theory was only confirmed when Regina turned to look at her, truly look at her since the first time she had bust through the door, with big, sad eyes, glimmering in the moonlight with unshed tears.

"Why?"

With a single word, Emma saw that the true power of the Evil Queen lay in the ability to crush her heart without even touching it.

"Because you deserve that from me. Because I want to. And because you're Henry's mom. I'll do anything for him. And he loves you."

Regina had no power over the fresh round of tears that had burst from within her. She didn't even know whether they were from Emma's proclamations, or it actually registering that she wasn't leaving, or from thinking of Henry or his love. She was blubbering, unheard of for a Queen, impossible for Cora's daughter. Thinking of her mother, her rage returned, hardening the emotions that made her body feel boneless, until it compelled her to reveal everything.

"She was the reason I couldn't have children."

She expected something from it being out in the air, but the tension just hung there as Emma clearly didn't know what was going on or how to respond. Regina almost laughed at the concerned confusion she had come to expect from the blonde, the face with furrowed eyebrows and curled lip, the one she shared with Henry, the one that was now managing to calm her in its normalcy. Just her grief remained as she continued.

"My mother put a spell on me, so there wouldn't be more competition for the throne. All of these years…" Her words faded away as she considered how things would have been different. A child of her own? A reason to be loved as Queen? Or just another devotee to Leopold? Would she have eventually cast a spell on herself as the years dragged on? As she fell further into her mother and Rumple's designs for her? Or maybe Rumple would have himself.

No matter the path, all the same pain.

"I told her to leave."

All this time, Emma had no words, just continued her gentle circles on Regina's back, her green eyes filled with a mix of sympathy and pride and determination.

As Regina observed her, she couldn't help but see that apparently, she was officially one of the Savior's causes now. But her focus lay on the long fingers skimming across her pajamas.

More than anything, it felt so wonderful to be touched with the sole purpose of comfort.

Emma, for all her flaws, had never tried to manipulate her—despite her increasing belief that she had been blind to it from everyone else, she knew the blonde with all of her bluntness was not one for that. Her truth always made it to the surface. And Emma could scream and hit and argue all she wanted and never come near to the way Regina was used to being used. And hurt.

So Regina, exhausted on every front, broken really, found herself giving in to the warmth radiating from the woman next to her on the floor, and leant into the blonde's shoulder.

The hand on her back stilled for a moment in surprise. Emma had not been expecting this.

All the admissions had come out, which meant that all the walls had to come back up and Regina could yell at her for invading her personal space, her room, whatever. But here they were, still on the floor, with Regina closer than ever. It was an odd sort of half hug since Regina hadn't moved her arms, but her head fit perfectly into the crook of Emma's neck.

Once she had recovered, she continued her ministrations, not wanting to upset their delicate balance, but as the brunette remained still after her breathing had settled, and it seemed the majority of her tears had dried, Emma decided to go for it. She dropped her hand from the brunette's back and wrapped her arm around her small waist in one swoop, tugging Regina in even closer.

At that, Regina tilted her head back, brown eyes catching Emma's in what could best be described as bewilderment. As if she couldn't possibly understand why the blonde would want to hug her. Regina could list the people who had held her with care on one hand. Even Emma, the product of broken homes and master of failed relationships, was wealthy in comparison. Emma, seeing in Regina's eyes that this was not just about them anymore, this was unheard of, felt any last resistance she had towards the woman—or more accurately towards the feelings she had developed for her—breaking away.

So she held tighter, drawing Regina to sit up against her and the bed, her arm only leaving her side to stroke thick, soft hair.

* * *

Cora's wretched failure meant that she would actually be reduced to watching her daughter until she could find a way in, shamefully having to study the subject she should have known better than any other. It was a foolish mistake leading her in to that conversation when Cora had not been around to see the effects of her spell. She had woefully underestimated her daughter's capacity for inanities like caring for children. But she would not lose this war.

She sat back aboard the ship, watching her daughter slump to the floor in her conjuring, taking great pleasure in her profession of love. She could always count on Regina's weakness for love.

She was considerably less pleased by the blonde's entrance. And by the time she had placed her hand on Regina's back, Cora was furious. She had literally driven her daughter into the arms of the Savior. Of course, she had known their relationship had changed, but she had hardly expected this much. She should have been paying attention. Her only hope was in Regina's reticence to share—there would perhaps be a second chance for the evening to go as planned when the Savior left in horror upon discovering Regina had been willing to kill her for her son. But it never happened. All that did was a terribly shameful breakdown followed by snuggling even closer to the blonde.

How disgusting.

Cora fumed. She had waited 28 years for this. It may not have felt like it, but she waited all the same. She would not have her plans be thwarted by her daughter's new hope.

But how to get back on track?

Regina did still have to be a part of it. Cora could become the Dark One without her, of course, but it would be more difficult. Regina was sure to have some quite powerful magic by now, and it would be unwise to leave her in a position to be able to use it against her. Besides, it would be nice to have her around, someone to worship her. And Regina did already love her. She just needed to break her. Which considering she was already broken enough to allow the Savior to see her like that…Cora contemplated the sight in front of her. Even if her daughter were closer to that—woman—it could work to her advantage. The Savior was Regina's last link, last connection to her pathetic town. Losing her support, that would be the last blow to Regina's hope. And without hope? Her daughter would be perfectly malleable.

But the question was, how to sever their connection? She couldn't just kill the blonde, or Regina would blame her, or be docile for a while as she was with Daniel only to find her strength to disastrous ends later. Both were too messy. No. Cora needed to get Emma to reject Regina, as she almost did with Archie. But she couldn't use the same gambit again. And since the blonde actually cared now for reasons she had yet to uncover, a trick situation would be challenging to come by. There was only one possible solution.

Cora needed to control her heart.

Regina may have known her methods better than anyone, but now she was distracted. By emotion, by desire, by her world falling apart all over again. This wouldn't be like Hook when her daughter was poised on what she considered her victory, aware of every last detail, every threat. Her pitiful daughter was crying in the arms of a woman who wore indecent pants on a regular basis. For the benefits of controlling the Savior: to bring her to an untimely end without Regina knowing she was behind it, to eliminate her as an obstacle in Regina having Henry, to allow an opportunity to disabuse Regina of the notion that the blonde cared, maybe even to assume the power she possessed innately, even if it was good—It would be worth the risk.

But it was all for naught if she couldn't get around that pesky magic that had so forcefully rejected her before. The blonde was untrained, so it clearly wasn't purposeful, but Cora was the most powerful witch in any of the realms. She would find a way around it.

Watching the pair still sitting on the floor of her daughter's bedroom, she couldn't hold back a scoff as Regina nestled into the crook of Emma's neck. But then, she spotted it.

Emma's eyes as she pulled Regina in.

The bumbling Sheriff _loved_ her daughter.

For the first time all night, she smiled. Maybe this wasn't going to be such an undertaking after all. Even if she couldn't have the Savior's heart, maybe her daughter could.

Cora had a plan.


	9. Chapter 9

Emma could have sat there forever, even losing sensation in her tailbone and feeling her eyelids sagging under their own weight, because it was the kind of moment you spent your life hoping for, and there was no guarantee for anything like it to ever happen again.

Especially with Regina being the other participant. Despite her current comfort in the situation, Emma couldn't help but wonder if after this whole Cora problem was dealt with and the former Queen got some real rest, Regina wouldn't go back to hiding all of her insecurities and weaknesses and emotions away under the harsh, bright reality of her life in Storybrooke. And whether that would mean they could be allied under Henry, but nothing else. Emma wouldn't go back to that. She wouldn't even accept grudging respect.

She was going to fight for Regina's friendship, and though she couldn't force anything more, she could certainly hope for it. Because even if Regina were to deny it in the very next moment, Emma had never felt more secure than she did with the surprisingly petite Evil Queen nestled next to her.

Slowly though, she could feel Regina, tired and sore and cried out and empty, beginning to pull away. Emma's reluctance to let go was tempered only by the look she caught in still glistening eyes.

Regina may not have been entirely comfortable with where things had progressed, but she wasn't going to go back to where they had been. This was new, uncharted, but they would handle it, just like they would handle Cora.

"I'm…sorry."

Meeting that emerald gaze, Regina wasn't entirely sure what she had meant the apology for, so unused to giving them in the first place. It was for her breakdown, for her weakness in succumbing to her mother; but it was also for everything she had done after Emma's arrival in Storybrooke…maybe for everything she had done, period. Maybe it was to herself, mourning the loss of the pure-hearted girl she once was, or for what that girl had suffered through, or for how she hadn't been strong enough…

Sorry meant too much, and for the first time, Regina realized, nowhere near enough.

Emma knew this wasn't just about the tears, the discomfort. And she recognized its importance. While Emma had never been an Evil Queen, she had a few things worth apologizing for herself.

"Me too."

Regina didn't know what to make of that. It seemed so sincere, but what could Emma possibly be sorry about that she hadn't apologized for already? She waited for Emma to continue, to say she was sorry for supporting Regina, sorry for thinking her worthy of anything, sorry for having stayed with her at all, sorry they had to go through this insanity, but Emma's next words were entirely unexpected.

"I really should have moved us to somewhere more comfortable. You have great carpet, though."

Regina laughed. Untamed emotions coursing through her system, and she laughed. Emma was petting the floor by her side, her smile growing through Regina's reaction. Somehow she had once again managed to say the right thing, finding that the Queen was just as partial to humor as a preferred method of distraction as she was. More importantly, she had invalidated many of the brunette's fears in stressing that even with a change of venue, she would still be there.

"Oh, yeah?" Regina managed to cock an eyebrow.

"Yeah, really high quality."

It was insane, their smiling at each other. Then again, if ever there was a time for crazy, Emma could make a solid argument for two in the morning in the Evil Queen's bedroom in Storybrooke, Maine.

"Maybe we should get some sleep?" Emma continued after a moment. "If it's even possible in this town any more?"

Emma was reluctant to end things; she was reluctant to move away from Regina at all, but she turned to face her, knowing that if there were one good excuse for breaking their moment, it was for sleep.

"Doubtful."

Regina couldn't bring herself to look at Emma. Even if she did manage to steal a few more hours, they would be wracked with nightmares. She didn't even want to lie down, much preferring fighting off her fears until morning when she could see Henry again. But glancing up to see the blonde's concern, she changed her mind. Emma would sleep better not worrying about her.

"But I suppose we could try."

Emma gave her what she hoped was a supportive smile. "Great."

Of all the reasons Emma hated Cora, she was pretty sure that having to go to bed instead of continuing to sit curled around Regina, just so she could attempt to be adequately prepared for imminent attack, was currently at the top of her list.

In the silence, Regina had noticed the sleeves of her nightshirt, damp from wiping away snot and tears, and realizing how much of a mess she was, how she probably looked, she tried to surreptitiously hide the stained silk, her eyes, any evidence of what had conspired.

However, her attempts were thwarted when Emma suddenly covered her hands with her own.

The blonde had moved directly in front of her, observing at her as she would any other day, when Regina was all polished makeup and tailored suits, for reasons Regina couldn't even begin to understand.

"Game plan in the morning when we aren't so crazy tired?"

Regina managed a nod, transfixed by Emma's warmth seeping through her skin. "But we'll have to start early—without me…my mother will be even less predictable. More desperate. And she will likely use more drastic measures to turn me."

Emma shuddered involuntarily. She hated to think what constituted "drastic measures" for Cora. Still, there wasn't anything they could do now. Not unless she made a move.

Emma gave Regina's hands a squeeze before pulling them both up to stand, their legs reluctantly adjusting to the new pressure.

"I know this won't exactly work for you, but try not to worry about it right now."

It was a testament to her weariness that Regina solely appreciated the sentiment for what it was, her hands still in the Saviors.

"I can't promise anything," she managed with a sad smile, "but I'll try."

"Goodnight, Emma."

With one last squeeze, Emma reluctantly withdrew her hands.

"Goodnight, Regina"

* * *

Somehow Emma managed to leave the room and make her way to her own guest room, though she couldn't remember why.

She had wanted to stay. As she lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, despite her body's constant ache, she didn't even think of sleep. She thought of Regina. She thought of the depths in those brown eyes. She thought of how it had felt like the greatest honor being let in, even as it hurt so viscerally to see and hear her pain. She thought of how she didn't like the idea of the brunette being alone, which was ridiculous because she had been so not hours before, not to mention most of her life. But that was all the more reason why Emma didn't like it. She thought of how ridiculous it was that she was ready and willing to drop everything to comfort and protect a woman who up until recently had not shown any signs of wanting or needing either.

It was just the rest of the night. Only a few hours of unconsciousness. Why should she care? It wasn't like she could force Regina to cuddle—why would she even want to?

As thoughts of Regina tumbled around in her head, she somehow managed, despite it all, to fall into a restless sleep.

Which was exactly what Cora had been waiting for.

She had set up watch on the blonde's room, exercising her minimal patience to its capacity as she anticipated her effort's grand results. It was true she had been rather reckless with her magic recently—there hadn't been any reason to refine her skills, to focus on technique, planning, when there was no one in her realm to challenge her. Now, she had to use her training to its full advantage—against an unpracticed magical being that wouldn't see it coming.

She had to restrain herself from transporting into the room the moment Emma's eyelids had dropped, pausing a few minutes to assure an undetected appearance. Finally confident that the blonde would not awake at her magic, Cora began her work, once again using her glamouring abilities to their fullest.

She became Regina.

Complete with tearstained pajamas, though she was certainly unhappy about that. Displeased with the idiot dog's reaction to her illusion the first time around, she made extra effort now, concentrating on every aspect of her daughter's current appearance down to the shapes of her fingernails and the scent of her shampoo. She would not be foiled by sloppy work. She had even refrained from covering Emma's room, knowing Regina would be able to sense that magic in her light sleep, opting instead to augment her daughter's dreams, where she would be too busy battling with her imaginary demons to face her mother.

Taking hearts had never required much finesse, but taking the Savior's heart? That required the preparation and skill of a surgeon.

Finally pleased with her transformation, and swallowing the disgust that came paired with the swollen eyes and salty cheeks, she poofed into the sleeping blonde's room, instantly casting a classic dream spell. She needed Emma to be awake enough for her senses to override her instinct, but not so much to distrust the illusion.

Leaning over the sleeping form, Cora slowly pressed her hand into Emma's chest.

Emma woke with a start from the bitter cold that seeped through her veins, but the spell had taken effect—it all felt like a dream.

She could only stare, watching Regina slowly take her heart from her chest, feeling the magic building inside her, much like it had with Cora, until Regina brushed the hair that had fallen from her face and looked deep into her eyes.

Something sparked. Cora couldn't replicate her daughter's care considering she could barely stomach it, but she could call upon a love spell or two to mimic the effect. Nothing long term, just enough that Emma could sense, because with that gentle touch, Emma didn't want to hurt Regina, the way her heart had done on its own with Cora before. She wanted to let her have it.

Cora felt the release as it happened, Emma's love giving itself over to her, her hand moving out of the Savior's chest with no resistance as green eyes stared up at her in wonder.

Emma admired the figure above her. There was something off, something cold, but Regina had her heart, the organ glowing brightly in the dark room as Emma felt the gaping hole vividly in her chest.

The Savior's heart finally in her grasp, Cora smiled.

Knocking Emma firmly back into sleep with a final spell, she transported herself back to the ship as the blonde collapsed back in bed.

Reverting to her natural form through her purple fog, the golden heart in her hand flared in protest. Emma wouldn't be asleep for long, her magic instinctually pulling her heart to be reunited with her body, but it didn't matter now. This was the last step.

All that was left was to break her daughter. And kill the Dark One.

* * *

**A/N:** Dear Peanut Goddess, I hope you're not too disappointed. I had already written this, though I can certainly see where you're coming from...hopefully, the ends will justify the means!


	10. Chapter 10

When Emma woke with a start that morning, she felt remarkably well rested.

But also remarkably empty.

Like she had no motivation, no reason for getting up and facing the day. Her heart just wasn't in it. She had had days like that before, but never so complete. And certainly not when she had so much to fight for—including the more recent addition of Regina. Even in her apathy, she knew she needed to hold the fallen queen again; it had been so ingrained into her mind.

And her dream. Emma remembered. Regina, beautiful above her, taking her heart—Emma would have scoffed at the literal symbolism if things hadn't felt so off. She needed to tell Regina about it—in a land with magic, Emma had learned to lend her dreams more weight, especially when this one seemed so real—there must have been some meaning behind it. She got out of bed, quickly pulling on her clothes to walk to the brunette's room, still conflicted by her hollow feeling. Knocking on the door, she opened it without waiting for an answer, only to find that her words wouldn't come out.

Emma focused as best she could. She wanted to tell Regina about her dream. She knew she did. But she wouldn't say anything.

Something was terribly wrong.

She felt her hand rise to her chest—over her heart—or where it should have been. Someone was sending her a sign. Someone was controlling her. Someone had her heart.

_Cora._

The dream wasn't a dream. It had all been Cora. But how? Apparently True Love's magic didn't automatically mean your heart couldn't be removed, just when it was threatened, just when it was by someone you didn't lo…feel safe around.

Cora had her heart.

Panic built in her chest until it pushed against her skin, as Emma railed against herself for falling for the same fake Regina. She tried using her magic from afar, but it wasn't focused, she could only feel the control of her heart, be aware of it, not do anything about it. She was helpless, a weapon for Cora's control—a weapon for her to hurt Regina. Emma gathered all the rage and fear she could, all her mental exertion pulling on the connection that tied her heart to her soul.

From her distant watch, Cora felt the tug and her frustration bubbled. She could keep the Savior from revealing anything, but it was much more difficult than with an average heart. She wouldn't be able to manage a long game. Her plans to have the Savior get the Dark One's dagger for her fell away. She would have to focus on getting her daughter.

And she would have to get started right away.

Regina was sitting up in bed, jolted by Emma's entrance. She had cleaned up since her cry in the night but clearly had not slept. She watched the blonde in her doorway, unmistakably distressed.

"Emma? What's wrong?"

"We have to go to the stables."

The voice was hers but the words weren't. It was very disconcerting, having Cora in her head, and it was made all the more so by Regina's reaction.

"The stables?" She couldn't keep the tremor from her voice. Once the place she had found the most comfort, it had become the source of her greatest pain. To go back…could lead to nothing but misfortune. But Emma didn't know that. And she didn't want her to know. She tamped down her reaction as best she could as the words continued to fall from Emma's mouth.

"Cora's planning something and it's starting there. We have to be there."

Regina sat up further. She didn't want to believe her mother would start there, but it made so much sense that she would. Drastic measures. The real question was her involving Emma.

"How do you know? Did she come back last night?"

Despite the Mayor's best efforts to keep her emotions hidden from her, Emma could see Regina was struggling. She didn't entirely know what the stables meant to the brunette, but based on it being Cora's idea, it couldn't possibly bode well. She wanted so desperately to tell her the truth of what was happening, but it felt so distant, like she were yelling at herself through a dense forest, unable to make out the direction through the muffling branches. Besides, Cora had already discovered that using whatever bits of Emma's truth she could made things much easier.

"I had a dream—it was so real."

"It could have been her, setting a trap," Regina warned. "We can't just go in blindly, Emma."

Hearing her daughter, Cora smiled briefly. Apparently her emotional distress had not rendered her entirely useless as a strategist. Still, she would be easily convinced.

"We don't have any other plans to deal with her or leads to follow…We have to go, whether or not it's a trap."

Regina couldn't argue with that. When Emma had suggested they wait until morning to formulate a plan, Regina knew that they wouldn't have come up with anything, whether or not they were tired. She had lost sight of her mother's game, and outside of knowing that Cora wanted her back, she didn't know for what purpose. Especially now when any hope of her love had been dashed.

"I suppose you're right."

"We'll get her, Regina. I'll meet you downstairs when you're ready"

As Emma's body left the room, she tried once more to regain control, reach out to the woman suffering that she cared so much for, but Cora would not let her. What was worse was how much like herself she had been—she couldn't imagine how Regina would ever be able to see through it.

Emma was terrified. And powerless to do anything about it.

* * *

Regina almost wished Emma hadn't left, because despite the blonde's seeming determination, Regina couldn't find it in her to get out of bed. There was no way this wouldn't end in disaster. But there was also no way around it. She couldn't let Emma go alone.

She wouldn't let her mother win—even if it meant that she would have to lose.

She did her best to forget where they were going, reinforcing her walls as she got up and got dressed. She had faced many battles before. Wherever this was headed, she would face it just the same.

* * *

They arrived at the Storybrooke Stables on the edge of town not long after Emma had made her proclamation. They hadn't discussed much on the ride over, but Regina attributed her lingering uncomfortable feeling and Emma's unusual quietness to the moment they had shared not a few hours earlier on her bedroom floor—and to whatever would be waiting for them at their destination.

Stepping out of the car, Regina was hit instantly by memories, the smells and the morning stillness sweeping over her as the morning dew seeped into her boots. Emma however, had charged straight ahead for the barn. Shocked out of her contemplation by the idea of the blonde heading full-throttle into an ambush, she hurried to catch up to her.

"Emma!"

The Sheriff had already threw open the barn doors, inspiring a few huffs from the horses in their stalls, but nothing else.

The building was entirely empty, save the animals. There was no sign of Cora. Regina had begun to feel the faint pull of her magic—but she had no way of telling whether it was left behind or a sign of things to come.

Seeing no harm done but still on edge, she shot Emma a look—they needed to be quiet and cautious. Emma nodded in acknowledgement, and they split apart, checking the stalls on each side to see if they had missed some sort of clue.

Regina could barely walk as she approached where she had last seen Daniel, but she was determined to continue. Cora would pounce on any weakness, and then Emma would be paying for Regina's frailty. If she had resolved anything at all, it was that her mother would only cause her suffering. She would not allow Emma to be hurt, not anymore.

"Do these look like them?"

Emma's voice had called out softly from a few stalls away. She was looking them over, but not really paying attention, fiddling with the equipment hanging from the hooks on the walls.

Regina turned and faced the blonde, uneasy as she waited for her mother's move, especially as she felt her magic signature grow.

"Look like what?" She replied, hoping for some sort of a clue.

"Where your lover died."


	11. Chapter 11

_"Where your lover died."_

"What?"

Regina couldn't have possibly have heard her correctly, but the physical pain in her stomach told her otherwise. Emma was looking at her, but not much had changed in her demeanor. They could have been talking about the weather or paperwork or the specials at Granny's. Not Regina's worst memory. Not her greatest pain.

"He died in the stables, right? What a terrible shame."

Emma's uncharacteristic phrasing didn't even reach Regina's ears, her blood was coursing so furiously.

"Emma."

There was so much warning in those two syllables, and Emma was crumbling. She could see how Regina was on the verge of collapse, or more likely, her murder, and she was the cause of it—that alone was enough to make her sick, but now, powerless to do anything at all, even to let the tears that were building behind her eyes fall, Emma wanted to vomit when Cora decided the Savior ought to see the whole story. She infused her memory of the night through the connection, and Emma was forced to watch as the young Regina, whose sadness she had so recently seen, cried over a crumpled Daniel, trying desperately to wake him with True Love's kiss as the dust of his heart slipped through Cora's fingers.

Emma saw it all in its true, terrible glory. She wanted nothing more than to kill Cora herself. But Cora had different plans.

"It was probably for the best, you know. You couldn't possibly have been happy with a stable boy. If he even really loved you. He probably would have used you for your dowry."

Cora was beginning to enjoy this little game, despite the strain of controlling such a powerful heart. She knew she shouldn't be pushing the Sheriff to fight harder, but it was such fun watching her suffer. Not to mention how successfully it was unraveling her daughter. Regina would certainly end up killing the Sheriff herself, and then there would be no turning back. She would only have Cora.

Regina's whole body was glowing purple, radiating magic, but she couldn't release it. Not just because of Henry. Something wasn't right. But that much unchanneled anger was ripping her apart at the seams. Especially when she was so weak from the pain already. The stables. Where she hadn't been until Daniel came back. Where she had had to kill him. Killing the people she loved. That's what she was best at. She might as well make it a trifecta by adding her mother to the list.

And Emma. Emma who had held her with no demands, who had sat on the floor with the only intention of comforting her—and now, so brutally harming her? She had to be manipulating her. It had all been a game. And that made it Regina's greatest betrayal, just when she was starting to care for the woman in a way that went beyond her connection to Henry. Of course. Why would she ever open her heart if it only meant suffering? Why should she ever love if she was destined to lose the people she cared for? But she couldn't just give in. She couldn't kill Emma, not even if she were attacking her physically instead of emotionally, because she could never wish her hurt on Henry.

She would give everything for him.

Her life.

But she had to protect him from Cora. She had to take her mother with her, destroy any chance of her harming her son. She tried desperately to rein her magic in, regain the control she had always possessed. But she couldn't. She was on a runaway stallion with no training at all.

Regina had been many things before. All sorts of emotional wrecks, in sorrow, in torment, in rage, but with her fingertips sparking with unfocused electricity, this was approaching something new, even for her.

Regina was on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

And Emma only kept pushing.

"It was probably teenaged infatuation—hormones. Was he the first boy you ever even met?"

Emma was split in two as she continued to spew what Cora made her, trying to fight it every step of the way. Sometimes she could feel the strain as Cora had to work harder, but what was worse was when she had no pull—when Cora used things that came from the dark parts of her own soul, her own little truths and self-hatred.

"Were you so desperate to get away from Cora that you'd jump into bed with the first thing that was interested in you?"

Emma felt like flinching—not only at the barbs she was hurt even to throw, but at the growing surge of magic emanating from Regina surely meant to do her harm. Watching her struggle, Emma couldn't imagine the strength in her restraint—or why she would even bother.

Her love had always been used against her. For the little girl on the horse. For Daniel. For her mother. For her father. Always the source of her pain. Emma tried to focus, tried to remember every bit of magical training Regina had taught her. She would break Cora's hold. She had to.

"It couldn't have been bad to be Queen instead."

Regina stiffened. Emma's words had come through distinctly, effectively pausing her meltdown.

This wasn't right.

Even if last night had been a ruse, their moments in the castle had not. Regina may not have had her lie detector power, but Emma had not been faking her disgust. For the first time since she had walked into her bedroom, Regina really looked at Emma. The blonde was ashen, sweating despite the cool morning air, her muscles occasionally tensing only to quickly revert to loose nonchalance.

Emma wasn't right.

Regina found enough control to pace slowly towards the Sheriff, clenching and releasing her fists as magic still threatened to burst.

Emma watched closely. She had seen the change, and she knew Cora had too, but she doubted the Queen of Hearts knew where she had gone wrong, or even if she knew she had considering Regina's stony glare offered little warmth. But Emma was so desperately hopeful. Regina knew that she couldn't mean what she had been forced to say. Not after their trip together.

Mere inches away from the woman she once thought she could call friend, Regina raised her hand and brought it to the blonde's chest.

Cora brought Emma's hand up to grab Regina's wrist, not thinking her daughter would go for the Sheriff's heart herself, but it was too late. The magic pulsing from her fingertips as they hovered over Emma told her everything.

Regina knew. Emma's heart was gone. And looking up to see the fear embedded in deep green eyes, any semblance of command over her expressions was gone with it.

"_Mother!_" She screamed, whirling about, rattling the horses in their stalls. "Mother, come out!"

Regina let out a guttural wail, matching the banshees of the old world, unable to form her fury into words.

"I know it was you! It was all you! How could you _ever_…I will never come back to you! Never!"

Cora was furious. Her daughter should have snapped by now, killed the Savior in a rage. She didn't have the patience for this. It was too much effort to turn Regina to her. She would just have to become the Dark One on her own and start again. Maybe adopt.

Maybe Henry.

Regina was still shouting at the air around her, all her unreleased magic pouring out in acrid words.

"Why, Mother? Why would you ever think that would work? I can't believe—

"—Oh, god."

Rage turned to terror in an instant when she turned back to her blonde companion, still frozen in Cora's control.

"Oh, god. Emma." Her voice was barely more than a whisper as her hand hovered over Emma's chest as if she could will her heart back.

As hard as it had been for Emma to watch Regina's hurt before, it was worse now as she stared into misty brown eyes whose anxiety was solely for her.

"Mother, please!" Regina pleaded, wishing she could take back all of her anger that had practically taunted her mother into killing. "I didn't mean it! Please."

The quick turn in Regina's perspective convinced Cora to give it one last go. She had an opening. Love would once again manage to be her daughter's weakness.

She appeared in the middle of the stables, Emma's heart glowing strongly through the cover of deep purple smoke.

"Well, darling daughter, it seems I couldn't trick you after all. Though I came rather close, didn't I," she scolded lightly, altogether too calm in light of the morning's events.

"Now before you answer, darling, I'd like you to remember who has the power here."

Cora raised up Emma's heart and gave it a squeeze, smiling as both Emma and Regina's quaked. The first from pain and the second from fear.

"You know what I am capable of, Regina, so give your answer some careful thought. Will you join me?"

"Mama, please. Please don't." Regina couldn't do any more than beg. She could practically feel the weight of her travelling cloak, her long hair tumbling down her back to match the tears on her cheeks. She was having flashbacks. She couldn't let this happen again.

Emma tried desperately to move as Cora was distracted, reaching out for Regina, not knowing what to say that could possibly help, but Cora caught her, giving another warning squeeze that had Emma collapsing to her knees.

"Mama, no!" Regina's voice was so much higher than Emma had ever heard it. It wasn't just fright, it was desperation. And she sounded so incredibly young, younger than the teenager in the castle. Mayor Mills was nowhere to be found.

There was only one thing Regina could do. She was determined to spare Emma.

"I'll come with you! I'll do whatever you need, Mama, please, I promise, just give Emma's heart back!" She pleaded, her volume dropping until Emma could barely make out the words. But she knew the tone.

"Please. I'll be good."

Cora should have been pleased to receive Regina's pledged alliance, but she was simply all the more disgusted by her daughter's blatant show of affection for the Savior. That wouldn't do at all.

"Really, Regina, this is pathetic. I'll have to save you from yourself. Get rid of this woman like I did that wretched stable boy. Now be a good girl after, and I won't have to take your heart, too."

"No, Mama, please, you can't! Take mine instead!"

Cora found herself steadily approaching the bawling mess that was her daughter. So things hadn't gone according to plan. At least she could have her proper goodbye, her daughter as tamed by her control over Emma's heart as if it were her own.

"I was wrong to think I could not kill you," Cora spun her words sweetly, the content clashing against her seeming kindness. "I had meant to, my darling girl, for your betrayal—first Wonderland and then, sending the pirate after me? And to be so foolish about it?

"To think I was so easily swayed by hearing that I was your weakness. Well, apparently, child, that was _my_ weakness. Thinking that my hold on you could have influenced you. I wanted so much from you Regina, and from what I understand, I even had it." Suddenly, the air swirled purple around Regina as her mother played dress up, trying to imagine her daughter as she once had been. The effect, despite the tears that continued to stream down Regina's face, was breathtaking, the gown a magnificent deep purple, clinging to Regina's every curve, a bodice dripping with precious stones.

"The Evil Queen. Caster of a curse the world had never seen." Cora almost sighed. Her daughter had had such potential. Had gone so far. Where had she gone wrong? She let the illusion fall as she continued, already tired from her continued hold on the Sheriff's heart.

She would have to wrap things up.

"But as thoroughly as I managed to form you into something I could tolerate, something I could use, you continue to revert to your weak-willed ways. For what, Regina? More cause for blubbering? Do you not remember your wretched wailing over the stable boy? Or shall I remind you, before I kill you? Because you've somehow managed to find another, equally as miserable love."

Somehow, Regina managed to look over at Emma. Cora's magical hold on her was slipping despite the tight grip of her hand. She could see the blonde struggling, for her. She had never seen someone's face holding that kind of emotion, let alone on her behalf. Momentarily captivated, she was watching carefully when Cora deliberately began a slow squeeze—and Emma's sorrow contorted into unbearable pain.

Regina couldn't—she had to—this wouldn't be Emma's end.

With a scream that tore from the bottom of her soul, she threw herself at her mother, knowing her magic wouldn't be enough to stop her, but she wouldn't just let it happen all over again.

Cora, stupefied by Regina's entirely unexpected move, stumbled away from her daughter's colliding body, losing her grasp on Emma's heart with a burst of magic.

Regina staggered away to find her chest glowing a golden light.

She had taken on Emma's heart.

As her daughter and the Savior froze by the turn of events, Cora straightened herself, furious that her daughter had been successful in turning against her, for the Savior, of all people, who despite technically being a princess was no better than a peasant.

"Regina, you fool," Cora declared. "Love is weakness."

Cora used all of her magical energy to reach deeply into her daughter's chest with both hands, intending to destroy her daughter and her daughter's love.

Emma looked on in horror, now capable of her own speech and movement, but unable to do anything as Regina dropped to the ground, looking like she was being crushed from the inside out. But it didn't happen quickly. Cora's power was visibly coursing through Regina's body, rattling her, but she managed to gaze into her mother's cold eyes and push out her response.

"No, Mother. It's strength."

A pulse of violet threw Cora back, knocking both women to the ground.

Completely ignoring the older woman, Emma rushed to Regina's side, horrified by her closed eyes and shallow breathing, but more so when she put her fingers to Regina's throat to feel two distinct pulses. Though at her touch, eyelids fluttered open to reveal glowing golden eyes.

"I can't…keep both… it's too much…" Regina's voice was ragged, her breathing still uneven—she wasn't getting better. "You have to…to take yours back."

She would have laughed at how wide Emma's eyes went if the situation weren't so dire.

"Take it back?" Emma panicked. "Regina, I haven't exactly done this before. I could barely light a candle as of yesterday morning."

"I trust…" Regina was waning, her eyes struggling to focus on Emma, right in front of her. "You…Miss Swan."

Emma's hand hovered above the glowing hearts, feeling the radiating energy, her lip twisted between her teeth, when Regina's eyes drooped shut.

_Aw, screw it._

Emma gently pressed her hand into Regina's chest, unmistakably drawn to her own heart, but she was fixed in place for a moment as she absorbed just how much energy Regina was carrying, the weight of two terrible human lives, every emotion magnified tenfold. Recovering from the wave of awareness that rushed over her, she pulled her heart from Regina's chest, and closing her eyes, quickly popped it back into her own. Completely weirded out by this turn of events, but happy for its success, she opened her eyes to find Regina looking back at her, smiling despite her weakness from the magic and the emotion.

Unbeknownst to the pair, Cora had recovered from her shock and risen again, fury unleashed.

"I should have killed you both!" She railed, lacking any of her usual control. "Why use finesse when blunt force will do?"

She summoned all of her remaining strength to throw the most powerful death spell she knew at the women on the ground. With no time to dodge it, and with no hope that her magic could overpower it, Regina used her very last bit of energy to throw herself in front of Emma, hoping at least to absorb the part meant for the blonde.

She wouldn't let her die. Not after this.

Emma watched in slow-motion horror as Regina came between her and Cora's spell before she even knew what was going on. Her cry of "Regina, no!" tore through her body as her mind ran in circles of _no, oh god, no, _not when they had come so close and her arms immediately reached for the body in front of her, connecting just as Cora's spell reached them.

In the same moment, the air around them exploded, the magic sparking as violently as a welder's torch against cold steel—purples and blues and whites and golds.

As Regina was blown back into Emma's arms, across the stables, an elaborate gown suddenly found itself without an owner.

And across town, in a locked crypt, a dark heart disintegrated.

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you all for your follows and reviews-I can't tell you what it means to be greeted with a full inbox after a long day. I hope I can continue to earn your kindness!


	12. Chapter 12

The air clearing, both women slowly sat up, amazed to be in one piece. They immediately searched for their foe, their eyes focused on where she had last stood tall, dark magic crackling from her fingers. Instead, in the stillness, there was just a crumpled gown in a heap on the floor, the last remaining indication of the melting of a real wicked witch.

The silence was broken only by Regina's choking sob.

She just cried. None of it was her even thinking, just everything that had happened—it was her body's reaction to the stress and tension and pain and exhaustion and loss. A self-purification.

Emma held her as tightly as she could, sitting on the stable floors, with none of the reservations that had held her back the night before, knowing that this is where they both were meant to begin again, wound in each other's embrace. And this time, Regina wasn't crying alone. Tears poured down the blonde's face—they had won. They were safe. She had Regina.

* * *

The final explosion had radiated across town, winds rushing as they had with True Love's kiss, the breaking of the curse. Feeling the shiver, Snow and Charming immediately dropped a protesting Henry at Granny's to rush in the direction of the magic's origin, what they soon determined was the stables, hoping beyond hope that the pulse meant good news for Emma, who they had tried calling, but couldn't reach, because she was their daughter, because of the town, and most dire, because of the impossibility of their dealing with Cora alone, or worse with Cora and Regina.

They didn't know whether to be relieved or worried by the silence when they had finally reached the pastures, though their anxiety ate at them, travelling between their tightly clasped hands. But they were Snow White and Prince Charming, and they would bravely face whatever waited inside together.

Swinging open the stable gates, their first thought was for Emma, elation at seeing her alive, but as their feet began to move towards their daughter, their minds stopped them because it registered that she was crying, holding Regina securely in her arms. Snow's heart stopped at the thought of Regina actually being dead before she noticed her former step-mother's soft breathing and her arms draped around Emma, holding just as strong.

The Charmings shared a look, David significantly less surprised than his wife. Regina and Emma were hugging. They were alive and safe. But had they been successful?

Snow and David remained unmoving in the solemn silence, both recognizing the significance of the stables to Regina. But it wasn't long before they spotted the burn marks from the blast and the gown strewn haphazardly on the floor.

And that's when Emma seemed to finally notice them standing in the open doorway. As they moved to approach her, she managed to tell them in a single look that she loved them but they had to leave.

Knowing Emma well enough to take her cue, David took Snow by the arm, preventing her from wrapping her arms around the two women together, because her heart would always ache for Regina despite it all, and lead her away from where her presence would stir up far too many emotions than the pair on the ground could handle at the moment.

Emma watched them quietly walk out the door, accepting their worried over-the-shoulder glances for the love they contained before returning her focus to the woman in her arms, whose tears had run their course for the time being, too drained to continue expending the energy required for crying.

She lifted her beautiful face up, so she could look at her, truly look at her, as she brought her palms to Regina's cheeks, gently wiping away the tear tracks that had made their mark across clear olive skin.

"Let's go home."

* * *

It had been quite sudden, but 108 Mifflin was certainly home now. Because Regina was home.

The brunette had found her voice to ask for a minute alone, and Emma had granted her request with an "of course," though she did wait right outside the stable doors, a hand over her heart, never so grateful to feel it pulsing under her skin, never so amazed by its potential.

She did take the time to call Snow, seeing the missed calls and messages and grateful that David had managed to wrest her away for the time being. She wasn't sure how great she could be in person, but she was happy to accept as much of the love and joy that they defeated Cora that she could manage over the phone.

Snow was breathless as she answered, motioning for Charming to pull over.

"Emma, honey, I'm so happy you're alright. We love you so much. When are you coming home?"

"Thanks, Mom." Despite the onslaught, Emma could feel tears welling in the corner of her eyes. It hit her that she had never expected to hear those words from her mother or reply in return. Still, she was confident she had her family—right now she needed to help make Regina confident of hers.

"I'm happy I'm alright, too," Emma confirmed with a genuine smile. "But I'm not going back to the apartment. At least not today."

"What do you mean?"

Even through the phone, Emma could tell Snow was fretting about where this was going.

"Regina's the reason I'm alive right now. She's the reason any of us are. And I need to stay with her." Sensing Snow's hesitation, she pushed ahead, determined to get Regina her hero's due.

"Do you think Henry could be gentle with her? I think he should be around tonight."

Snow's earlier enthusiasm had died out entirely as she responded carefully.

"I don't know Emma, that's a lot to ask. I'm glad Regina's okay, and I…understand why you need to stay with her tonight, but Henry has to make his own decisions about her progress. We have to be careful."

Just as suddenly as she had been overcome by her mother's care, her temper now short-circuited her system. How many times would Regina have to prove herself, her devotion to her son?

"Mary Margaret, Regina just vaporized her own mother so that we all would be safe, so I don't really care about being careful, or what you think, or what you think Henry thinks, or whatever. She needs her son's love, and she deserves it. Will you please put Henry on the phone so I can discuss this with him."

In the pause that followed, she managed to catch her breath. So maybe she had been a little harsh.

"I'm sorry, Mom," she continued, hearing Mary Margaret exhale in relief through the line, "but you know it's true. This has been a really rough couple of days, weeks…" Emma petered off. In all honesty it had always been rough. Cora just made things even more dangerous than usual.

"…It's just been hard for everyone, but really Regina. Hasn't she suffered enough? I don't expect things between you two to instantly get better, but you shouldn't let that get in the way of her relationship with Henry…" Emma sighed. She wasn't enjoying how hypocritical this whole speech was sounding considering her position not more than a few days ago. "Look, I'm just trying to make up for how badly I messed up with her. Could you help me?"

"Emma," Snow considered her words carefully. "I will always help you when you ask. But I would like to understand. Could you try to tell me what changed?"

Emma gave a tired smirk, reassured by Mary Margaret's inherent teacher-ness.

"Mary Margaret, I promise you, after everything has settled, you and I will have a giant girls' night, filled with all sorts of explanations, even if the idea of that much sharing makes me want to jump portals. I'll tell you everything that is mine to tell, okay? I know you deserve that. I'd really appreciate if we could hold off on the crying though. That I'm not so sure I could handle."

Emma smiled at the soft chuckle filtering through the receiver. Maybe things could be okay after all.

"I'll do my best, but no promises," Mary Margaret managed to joke. "Henry's with Granny, but I'll have him call you."

"Thanks. I love you."

"I love you, too, Emma."

As the call ended in Snow's search for Henry, Emma's soul settled just a little. She had a son. She had a mother and a father. She had love.

Who knew a hard-luck orphan girl could end up with an actual happy ending?

She picked up on the first ring when the line for Granny's showed on her cell phone.

"Emma?" Henry seemed concerned. Emma imagined Snow hadn't explained much at all. Still, it was nice even to hear his voice.

"Hey, kid."

"Is Mom okay? I mean…are you? Did you defeat Cora? When are you coming home?"

Once again, Henry proved himself to have a good deal of her genetic makeup. She was just glad Regina had managed to turn his curiosity into smarts. Granted, he was a little more smart_ass_ than she would have preferred, but really, that was both their faults. The key now would be his compassion. She needed her special, smart boy to get it through his stubborn head that love—for anyone—was indeed the most powerful thing of all.

"Henry…Cora isn't going to hurt anyone anymore, thanks to your mom. She saved my life more than once today. And she's gonna be okay, but right now, she's really hurting."

"She's hurt?"

Emma was sad to admit she was relieved to hear the genuine concern in his voice. She knew Henry loved Regina, but she needed him not to take that for granted. Unfortunately, she also realized that she had not immediately told him his mother was physically all right.

"Well, no, not like that, not really," she hurried to clarify. "We're both a little sore, but, kid…your mom had to go through some really horrible things today. And I think she just needs you to be around. What do you say Snow and David take you home, okay?"

"Isn't that what they're gonna do? Take me back to the apartment?"

So smart. But definitely still a kid.

"No, Henry. _Home_ home."

She could practically feel it clicking into place for him and was not surprised when he spit out, "But Emma—"

She cut off his concerns right away. Now was not the time to worry about his objections. When they were all together, he would see. He would be fine. "I'm gonna be there, too. We'll be all together. Help your mom. As a family."

"Oh. Okay." Henry was still suspicious, but he accepted with relative ease. "She's gonna be okay?"

Emma smiled. This would work. She knew it would.

"Yeah, kid, long as we're around."


	13. Chapter 13

Standing in the now empty stables, Regina wasn't sure why she had wanted the time alone. She felt the rumble of emotions she had only recently tamed rushing to the surface, their presence amplified by the silence. The horses were being unusually quiet, cautious—as if they were respecting what had happened there—or were wary of the magical tension that had broken but still rippled through their stalls.

Emma had kept her from looking at the spot on the floor that her mother once occupied for too long, her emerald eyes a more welcome sight even as they were overwhelmed with tears, but now there was nothing to distract her from the nothingness, the pile of fabric and displaced straw, the remnants of incredibly potent magic. She padded over, not entirely ready to believe that this was it, that her mother hadn't just been transported to some other realm, that this wasn't an elaborate con to catch Regina unawares.

But as she lowered herself to the gown, there was no denying it. This was final.

Cora was dead.

She picked it up, the fabric silkier than she had supposed, trying to imagine what it would have felt like with her mother in it. It had been one of her favorites—extravagant, utterly royal. Growing up, Regina had rarely seen it, her mother only bringing it out for the grandest events, but she hadn't liked it—too dark, too low-cut, too intimidating with its high collar and intricate detail—it reminded the young Regina of how untouchable her mother was, how foreboding. Holding it now, she could see just how similar they had become when she was the Evil Queen, considering how close it was in design to many of her old gowns, the subconscious inspiration in a search for Cora's approval.

Folding it gently, Regina hated herself for being so upset at her loss. For mourning a mother that couldn't love her, whose final words and actions were filled with violent rage. She mourned her childhood, the kindness she never got but always hoped for, the pride. Of course the only periods of her life her mother would have praised—her machinations to the throne, her iron rule, her pursuit of Snow White—Cora had been set apart, gone in Wonderland at Regina's hand, and Regina's soul had grown darker and darker. The absurdity of it all…Regina would have laughed if it weren't so tragic.

She cradled the fabric to her chest, staring at the empty air where her mother once stood. As she had with Daniel this second time around. Clutching the dress closer, she wished she had been able to keep something of his before…before having to destroy him. But as she said goodbye yet again, she sensed the difference. The abyss, the deep despair written into her heart, was no longer there. His "love again" seemed to seep into the atmosphere, breaking apart the darkness. It made sense now. What she would have sworn was impossible was anything but.

She could hardly believe it, but she loved Emma.

Her True Love.

The magic that had protected them and defeated her mother wouldn't have been possible under any other circumstances. It wouldn't have even been possible if her True Love was someone else. She was in love with the most powerful magical being she had ever encountered.

And Emma was in love with her.

If it hadn't been for the lingering sensations of her heart in her chest, Regina never would have accepted it. She would have found a way around the impossibility of the magic, closed off the openings her heart had been building on its own for the blonde, continued to ignore Daniel's dying request, do everything in her power to save herself from the pain she knew would come with it. But their hearts together she couldn't avoid. They fit. And Emma's love had radiated from hers, pumping through every capillary in Regina's body. There was no denying it.

Faced with the unshakeable truth, Regina was surprised to find herself not shocked and futilely straining against her destiny, but calmed. Comforted. She wasn't running. It was like she was a new person—or rather, an old. Like a layer after layer of plaque had been removed from her hardened self to reveal a woman much closer to the young Regina who believed in the power of love and the possibility of happiness. She still hurt, every inch of her physically aching with the might of her emotion, but despite the haze and confusion and a lingering need to rail against the world, this time, she could see that she would make it. She could see that she would have someone to help her. Someone that was waiting right outside the stable doors.

Looking around the barn one last time, feeling it alive with her history, creaking with her ghosts, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, finding herself hoping beyond hope that one day she would be able to return to this place and not feel the weight of it. That she could find the freedom that had once made her so happy.

* * *

She only realized she still had Cora's dress securely in her arms in the moment she stepped out into the now bright sunlight to see Emma waiting more patiently than she had ever seen her. However, the blonde had no reaction to it at all, responding only to Regina's presence with a shy smile and her hand extended for Regina to hold, instantly seeking connection.

Regina hesitated only briefly before allowing the graceful fingers to intertwine with her own. Despite her acceptance of their situation, it was still fraught with unsaid words and untold stories, butterflies that reminded her of her first love, the kind of magic that even unmagical beings had to deal with. She hadn't held anyone's hand other than Henry since Daniel. Something so simple meant so much. Even still muddled in the hows and whys of the past couple of days, she was beginning to see just how formidable this love could be.

Emma, on the other hand, was perfectly content just to be making contact. There was no need to think of what this meant or what came next. They were alive. And Regina's delicate hand was warm and firm in hers. She would do anything for her. That was all that mattered.

"Do you want to go to the cemetery first?" Emma asked, giving Regina's hand a gentle squeeze. And then she flinched. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything? She should let Regina guide everything, but it just felt like she had to say it, more than when things normally came tumbling out of her mouth without thinking, but her worries were extinguished when Regina just nodded.

In fact, Regina had been infinitely grateful for the understanding, for not having to explain why she felt so deeply that her mother belonged in her crypt. Why her loss made her want to cry for her father, too. But Emma, Emma should go to her parents—the ones Regina had taken away, the other family she had ripped apart.

"Your family—they need…you should go to them." Regina blinked away tears, trying for her best commanding air as she stopped in front of the car.

"They know, Regina." Emma cringed internally at the remembrance of Charming and Snow seeing Regina at her lowest. Hopefully she would never realize. "They know they don't have to worry," she soothed, opening the passenger side door.

"And they know I'm where I need to be."

* * *

Arriving at the rolling lawn after the brief ride, they both stepped out, Emma instantly walking around to Regina's side only to lean against the car door, hands shoved in her pockets to keep from reaching out for the brunette once again. Despite their connection, Emma wasn't about to come on too strong for the first time in her life.

"I'll be right here, whenever you need me," Emma vowed with complete sincerity.

Regina said nothing, words beyond her reach, but held out a hand, much in the way Emma had at the stables. Emma was safety. And a part of her now. She wanted her there. The blonde's grateful surprise as Regina lead her to the Mills family mausoleum only further warmed her heart, though with every shift of emotion, she felt her eyes well up, as if they couldn't handle any deviation from whatever she had already managed to contain.

Though the door creaked open, Emma was puzzled by how un-musty it was for a mausoleum, despite it looking untouched, the solid stone tomb unmoving as death itself—at least before Regina pushed it aside to reveal her secret passageway.

Emma was staggered that Regina would show any of it to her considering she guarded her life of secrets with more ferocity than a starved dog. Treading carefully down the steps, it wasn't long before Emma realized that this was likely where Regina had hid out after being accused of Archie's murder. All that time when they hadn't been able to find her, after the brunette had disappeared into purple smoke with an expression that had unwittingly torn Emma's heart to shreds.

Emma felt the only recently healed wounds pull open with guilt as she considered what that really meant. The only place Regina could run to had been a crypt. A dungeon. With only the dead and their memories for company. She had jailed herself for her own protection. Yet again, because apparently house arrest hadn't even been enough.

Knowing she would go mad from that loss of freedom, Emma felt her growing self-disappointment grow, threatening to overtake her until Regina turned and caught her eye.

She had been thinking of the same thing, her temporary exile, and seeing the anguish in the blonde's face, (she wondered if Emma Swan was this incapable of a poker face with anyone or if she just wanted Regina to be able to read her like "See Spot Run") she offered her as much support as she could. That this had hardly been her fault, not that it had been anything at all, considering the dungeons Regina had spent time in in the past, and even if it had been terrible, even if it had been torturous, Regina would have deserved every second of the punishment. Because as much suffering as she had faced, she had caused more.

So she should take this for what it was. She had to kill her own mother. Of course no one would understand how that tore her up inside, how her love for the abusive woman had not been borne out of fear, but hope. Cora was her mother, and her love for her didn't change because she wasn't able to love her back. Regina hated that. But it was true. Moving along her mother's old possessions, each one held something for her. She wished she could have burned it all, reduced years of painful memories to another layer of dust on a mausoleum floor, but she couldn't. Instead, she set the folded dress upon an open pedestal. _Appropriate_, she thought.

She wondered what Emma was making of all this, Regina's monument to her family line, her dark and deviant past, a mysterious underground room filled to the brim with secrets, things Emma couldn't even begin to know or understand. But when she finally managed to turn and face the blonde again, she saw her struggling to keep tears from rolling down her cheeks, as if the room itself had been too much for her, the joy of Regina's doors being open only serving to magnify the misery that came rushing in.

It was time to let go. She would not let her past take both of them down.

Regina moved to Emma, decisively taking her hand in hers, and led them out of the crypt back to the car, back to home. _Their_ home.

Their hands never separated.


	14. Chapter 14

When they returned to Mifflin Street, Henry was already waiting impatiently outside. He would have gone in but for the presence of his grandparents, who were uncomfortable standing awkwardly on the porch. It was less than ideal, but Emma understood their relationship with Regina would take time to sort out. Now was just not the time to do it. She ran out ahead, wanting to clear them out, but after some very tight hugs with Henry squeezed in the middle, they made no effort to stay.

"Emma, honey, we're so happy everything's okay," Snow murmured in her ear.

"Me too, Mom," Emma managed as David gently pulled Snow away before she decided she never wanted to let go.

Charming, however, said nothing. Simply tacking on a kiss to her cheek and a look—Emma could have sworn that the twinkle in his eye was a congratulations for something more than their victory.

He then led Snow down the path, not letting her say a word to Regina, but supplementing her concerned glance with a tilt of his head. Not much, but a sincere thanks for his daughter's life. And what he imagined would soon be her happiness.

Regina gave them little thought as they passed, frozen in place by the shock of seeing Henry and then again when he willingly left Emma's side to bowl down the path and throw himself at her.

Waiting in front of his old house had done it for him. Emma was right; it was home. He'd missed being with his mom, maybe not all the time, but more than he had pretended. And now, anyone could tell she was hurting. It was the perfect excuse to appreciate one of her hugs, the kind only she could give, soft and enveloping and instantly warm, like the rush from the open oven door when her turnovers were finished.

Regina felt the tears the second he made contact. She had promised herself she would keep it together in front of him if she ever were to have him back, but she hadn't accounted for the rush that moved through her heart at even the thought of being able to hold him again.

Emma moved closer, drawn by the pair's radiating spirit, when Regina managed to look up from Henry's tousled head to find Emma's eyes, Emma's green, green eyes, glowing with happiness.

Emma had given her this.

She swiftly reached out and grabbed a wrist, pulling the blonde in to her open arm.

Emma shared a look with Henry, just as surprised at her inclusion, no matter how much had changed, but Regina just hung on tighter and let the tears fall.

This was how it was supposed to be.

* * *

Eventually, they managed to extricate themselves, Regina realizing that perhaps she shouldn't be holding so tightly to Henry lest she drive him further away or he realize that he were deep in the arms of the Evil Queen and react with disgust or horror. Emma just knew that if she didn't remove herself from Regina's side soon, she didn't know when she would be able to. Apparently she had only had a mother for less than a year and she was already turning into her.

She moved them all inside, Henry in particular using his homecoming to try to distract himself from how weird his moms were being, even if he desperately wanted to know why. Especially when Emma had insisted that Regina rest, and Regina had only resisted until Emma had promised that they'd be there when she woke up. In fact, Emma had gotten Henry to help escort Regina to her room and squeezed her hand before she shut the door.

The minute they were back downstairs on the couch, he dove right in.

"Ma, what's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Emma knew she wasn't going to get anywhere trying to deflect him—Regina was way more qualified in this department, and she never even bought herself more than a couple of minutes.

"C'mon, Emma!" Henry was having none of it, no matter how uncomfortable Emma seemed. "Why are you and mom acting so different? Why were you holding her hand? Did you get cursed or something?"

"God, no, Henry," Emma cut in, "No curses, no mag—" She caught herself. Technically there was a little magic involved. In the process, not the results. But she couldn't tell her mini lie detector with a habit of blowing things out of proportion that.

"No curses. We're just us."

The side eye Henry gave her was so Regina, Emma almost cracked, but she didn't want to push her luck when he decided to give her some leeway on the magic front.

"Well then how come you're even weirder than after the portal? Does it have to do with how she saved your life? What about Cora?" His voice continued to rise as he considered the possibilities.

"Whoa, kid, with the questions." Emma took a deep breath, trying to surface from underneath the torrent of curiosity. She tried to center herself. She could control the pacing.

"Yes," she began slowly and clearly, "This does have to do a little with your mom saving my life and with the portal and with what happened with Cora."

Henry also started to settle with Emma's sincerity. This time he wasn't sure he wanted to push against her seriousness.

"Ma, what happened?"

Emma sighed. What hadn't happened. And what to tell a pre-teen about it.

"I think that's something your mom and I are gonna have to tell you together, okay?" She watched his shoulders slump even further. She really wished she could explain things somehow, but she could barely explain it herself. And she really needed to talk to Regina first. "Can you hold on a little longer?"

"Yeah…"

"I can tell you that Cora can't hurt you or anyone else anymore. She's…gone." Emma grimaced. When did she get so weird about this?

"She's dead?"

"Yeah, kid. And, she may have been a really bad lady, but she was your mom's mom. So she loved her. And it's gonna be hard for her, to deal with that."

"Okay." Henry furrowed his eyebrows in a look Emma recognized distinctly as one of her own. She scooted closer and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"I know you're worried. But your mom's the strongest person I've ever met. And it means a lot to her that you care"

"She's my mom!"

"I know, Henry."

Teaching moment achieved. The recognition was neon-bright across his face before it slipped into shame.

"I'm sorry."

She hugged him closer as he snuggled into her side. Kid didn't need to feel any worse about how he had acted. At least not while he was handling it all by himself.

"I'm glad. You're a great kid, Henry. But you might want to tell her."

"Okay." He was resolved. He would do better. Like Emma had been dealing with his mom. He tilted his head up. "I kinda like you guys getting along."

Emma wasn't all that surprised, but she was glad he had said it, a smile growing unbidden across her face. "Me too, kid. You know, your mom is pretty great."

Henry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know."

Okay, maybe she had pushed too far. That teenage sass would be a lot to deal with from this kid.

"Okay. Want to watch a movie while we wait?"

That was definitely a good compromise as he bounded from the couch to pick one of his favorites. Emma only caught the opening credits before she too was fast asleep on Regina's absurdly comfortable couch. Turns out sleeping spells didn't compensate for the adrenaline-filled sleepless nights of portal adventuring and evil witch threats.

Henry didn't mind. He was just content to have her there—both of his moms safe and near and with his DVD collection and the big screen TV and a couch unrivaled by any seat in Snow's apartment.

As the credits rolled and his stomach started to growl, he shook Emma's shoulders.

"Hey, Ma! Emma! Can we wake Mom up now?"

Emma reluctantly returned to consciousness, peering at the time on her phone through one open eye.

"Yeesh, kid! How long was that movie?" She mumbled, sitting up.

"You were asleep so I watched part two! So, can we?"

Emma still couldn't fully process how awake he was when her own responses were so dulled, but she smiled at his enthusiasm to see Regina. She only hoped the brunette had managed to find the afternoon restful.

"Yeah, we probably should."

At her words, Henry bounded for the stairs and got midway up, only stopping to turn around when he realized she wasn't right behind him. Emma froze mid-stretch when his glare reached her, half expecting it to be accompanied by a "Miss Swan."

She quickly jogged towards her waiting son.

* * *

"Henry?"

Regina opened her eyes to find her son sitting on her bed directly in front of her. It couldn't have possibly been real, but Regina had never been much for good dreams.

"Hi, Mom."

Henry had managed to keep from busting in Regina's room once they made it up the stairs. In fact, he had snuck in like an old pro, from years of peeking into his mom's room when he was sick or had nightmares only to have her wake up instantly, worried about him. This time though, she hadn't. She had even looked peaceful as she slept, and Henry wondered if they shouldn't let her rest even more. But he had something he wanted to say. Besides, if he had been the one asleep, his mom would have woken him because if he slept any later he'd never be able to get to bed on time. So he sat on the side of the bed and gently grasped her shoulder. Much more gently than he had with Emma, the blonde noticed from where she stood in the doorway, not sure how far she could intrude into the space or the moment.

Regina sat up slowly, still not fully believing he was there, they were there, slightly woozy from the long nap, but feeling new. She had slept deeply from pure exhaustion—not a single dream.

As soon as she had risen to his height, Henry shook his self-imposed restraints and threw his arms around her, mumbling into her shoulder, "I'm sorry, Mom. About everything."

Her eyes locking with Emma's as they welled up once again, she was absolutely overcome. It was ridiculous. She really did have to get a handle on this crying thing before she lost all of her Evil Queen cred.

She brought Henry back out to face her, finding such love and honesty that she didn't deserve, bringing a happiness that she could practically feel bursting through the dark parts of her heart.

"Henry," she sighed, cupping his cheeks the way she liked to when he was very little and would nuzzle into her hands. "You don't have to apologize."

Catching that he would soon be protesting, her stubborn, wonderful boy, she dropped her hands to his shoulders before murmuring, "But thank you, anyway."

They shared a smile then, and Regina basked in what she could truly consider her happy ending, before tears threatened once again when she saw Emma smiling right along with them, and she realized that her happy ending could include so much more.

Needing a distraction more than anything, despite her reluctance to break contact with Henry—just in case it really all was a dream—she slipped her feet over the side of the bed.

"I can't believe you let me sleep that long," she scolded Emma before adding mischievously, "Henry must be _starving._"

Emma grinned, wishing she had been around before everything had fallen apart to see this mother and son relationship that had been everything she had ever wanted for herself.

"Just wait a few more years. I bet you there won't be any food left in Storybrooke."

"Hey!" Henry piped up. Getting along was one thing, but he could do without the double team teasing. "I'm a growing boy."

Regina smiled. How many times had she wished Henry had fallen under the curse so she could keep him her little prince forever? "That you are. How about I make us some dinner?"

Emma couldn't deny the way Henry's face lit up at the idea of his mom's cooking, but it didn't seem right that Regina should have to cook after everything.

"Are you sure? I could—"

Emma was rapidly interrupted by a joint, urgent "no" from the brunettes in the room.

"—pick something up from Granny's. Yeesh."

Regina laughed, a grand belly laugh with Henry, to the surprise of everyone.

"I'm sorry, Emma," she breathed through her chuckling, "that's a very kind offer. But I want to. What do you say, Henry? I could make your favorites?"

If Emma thought Henry looked excited before, she didn't know what to call him now.

"Really? All of them?"

"I'll have to see if we have everything, but I'll do my best. Why don't you go pull out the pans?"

"Okay! Thanks, Mom!" Henry added as he bolted from the room.

Emma hung in the doorway as Regina got out of bed, somehow managing to laugh at how easily her son's loyalties could be swayed by food.

"Okay, now you've got to tell me what that was about."

Regina smiled her best Cheshire smile at the blonde leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, every part the Sheriff.

"You'll see soon enough, dear. Now go keep Henry entertained. I won't be very productive if he just sits staring impatiently as he normally does."

Emma knew that to be true only in that Regina probably would spend the whole time staring back at him, the normality of it all too overwhelming.

"As you wish, Madame Mayor."

"Thank you, Princess. Now go. He's probably already into the chocolate."

"Chocolate?" Emma asked as she immediately turned out the door. "Why didn't you say so?"


	15. Chapter 15

Regina worked diligently in the kitchen to the soundtrack of Emma and Henry's laughter floating in from the other room—when they weren't sneaking in to see how close she was to being finished. Henry's favorite. The house smelled like birthdays (because she always made his favorite, even for her own), and final grades (because they were always good), and those special days when she just wanted to make him happy. She liked the idea of adding this celebration to the list. Of his being back. Of their being together as a family.

Really, she had wanted to make dinner because the rote steps kept her sane. She knew the laughing was from Emma trying to lighten everyone's spirits, doing her part to keep Regina from having to think about any of it quite yet, especially since they could only truly put off the conversations they needed to have while Henry was there. Even if everything seemed like a part of the distant past, it hadn't been more than a few hours since she had had Emma's heart in her chest, since her mother had died—not more than a few days since she had been stuck once more in her horrible past.

Cooking didn't require her attention to any of those facts, just to adding salt after the water boiled, to greasing the pan before adding the mix, to setting both ovens. Just repetition and precision and ease from years of perfecting her work. She had always found it soothing.

Dinner itself went with remarkable ease, Emma reveling in the surprise that was Regina's juicy hamburgers and onion potatoes and artichokes followed by homemade flourless chocolate cake à la mode. She definitely understood Henry's enthusiasm now. Lasagna was one thing, but apparently Regina could go all out with the best of them. The brunette had even let it slip that she had been quite taken with the sandwich when they had first arrived in this world, eating them far too often. Apparently the Mayor had initially indulged in all sorts of junk food when she realized that there was no one in Storybrooke to restrict her from it or judge her for it, at least at home. Emma couldn't help but grin at the idea that the Evil Queen's rebellion came in the form of trying to make the perfect chocolate cake and eating all of the failures.

Their only stumbling block had been when Henry's curiosity got the better of him and he asked what the battle had been like, earning him a glare from Emma but a much more persuasive empty look from his mom—like her soul had retreated into itself. Mostly he talked about how the Charmings were kind of boring being so nice all the time, though he did like learning to be a prince, and now that everything was back to normal, did he still have to go to school?

He was doing his best to chatter, aware of the underlying tension, even if he didn't know all of the reasons for it. Not to mention the tension of his own—how he had treated his mom…but the bad things she had done; how he was living with Emma… But his moms clearly loved him. And Emma had said that Regina had saved her, and if his mom had saved the Savior, then she couldn't be so evil, and being at home, even for these past few hours, had been really nice, and his things were here…so as they cleared the table, Emma groaning over her contentedly full stomach, Henry decided to ask.

"Moms? Do you think maybe I could move back here?"

It was kind of the opposite of what he had been expecting when Emma looked thrilled and Regina was once again on the verge of tears. She didn't dare accept lest Emma disagreed and they fell back into their old ways.

"Of course you can, kid!" Emma wrapped an arm around Henry's shoulder knocking Regina out of her fretful contemplation and into full on relief. "Tomorrow. We'll get everything settled back."

Henry was glad for Emma's reaction, but he hesitated. He didn't want things to go back to how they had been before, even if his moms were acting differently. "I'll still get to see Emma though, right?"

This time, Regina spoke up, quick to dispel any of the blonde's worries.

"Of course, Henry," she affirmed as she moved towards the pair. "Of course you will. We're going to work something out."

As pleased as Henry was that things were working themselves out, he couldn't help but be grateful for the sound of the doorbell, interrupting his mothers' tense, meaningful stare.

He ran to the door, leaving them behind to find Snow and Charming having come to take him and Emma home.

"Hey, kiddo," David said as he ruffled Henry's hair, trying to limit his visible apprehension as he watched Emma come into the hall with Regina right behind her. "You ready to go home?"

While he had addressed the question to both Emma and Henry, David already knew Emma's answer.

"Thanks for coming to get him, guys. We'll be by in the morning to pick him up."

Emma knew to cut off the impending protest from Mary Margaret with a hug followed by a pointed stare.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Mom. I love you."

It was clear. Emma was staying put, and nobody was gonna ask any questions about it. She'd see her parents tomorrow. She hadn't even had a second thought about inviting herself to stay with Regina, but she turned briefly only to find clear relief in those tumultuous brown eyes.

"Okay. Tomorrow then." Charming pulled his daughter into a bear hug. It wasn't necessarily their style, but he needed her to see how he would be there for her—and that he was truly happy she had found happiness, no matter who it was with.

"I love you, Emma," he whispered into her ear. "See you tomorrow."

Sometimes, the shepherd turned prince could really get it right. For all of his protectiveness, Emma knew he would let her be, even with the Evil Queen, because now, he understood.

They shared a smile before their attention was drawn to Henry throwing his arms around Regina.

"Bye, Mom. I love you."

Regina had been a few steps back from this family scene, once again threatened by the Charmings' presence, by their claim over Henry, and now, over Emma. Despite her flair for the dramatic, she did tend to lurk awkwardly on the outside, resigned to being good and being rejected, even accepting that despite their progress, Henry might just bounce out the door, forgetting he had ever changed his mind about her. But when he specifically made an effort to say goodbye… Regina couldn't take this kind of happiness. She wasn't built for it. She wasn't prepared. She even caught a look of sympathy from Snow over Henry's head and it didn't bother her in the least. Everything she once cared about, everything that had driven her, all the anger and the sorrow, all of it seemed so pointless. She was tired of all of her old revenges, and reveling in her son's embrace, infused with a new understanding. She knew the culprit—Emma's heart.

"I love you, too, Henry." She let herself squeeze him just a little tighter. "So much."

"Goodnight, my little prince."

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry it's so short...I wanted to keep our ladies' emotional revelations self-contained, now that they're finally going to talk. I'll try to get it up as soon as possible to make up for it!


	16. Chapter 16

Henry said his goodbye to Emma, equally as lovingly, and David led them out, even managing to keep Snow from saying any number of the things she had wanted to say, which was turning out to be quite a useful talent. Shutting the door, Emma sighed. Dealing with them in the morning wouldn't be all that great, even with David's newfound support. Especially with Henry wanting to move back. But hey, families were supposed to be complicated. It wouldn't be a real one without a few difficulties.

But she and Regina had to begin with their own, as they were left alone in the hall, finally just the two of them with no looming disaster on the horizon. At least no looming disaster outside of two extraordinarily complex women having to talk about their emotions.

Regina observed the blonde leaning against her doorway. Emma really had managed to make herself comfortable in her home, but more importantly, with her. Maybe this wouldn't have to be so painful. Regina had faced far worse than a measly figurative heart-to-heart, including a literal one not but a few hours ago, but for some reason, she was having a much harder time being brave than usual.

"I believe we finally have time for that talk you've been wanting," she spoke softly, broaching the heaviness that had settled over them.

"Right," Emma replied, pausing as she considered just what that entailed. "Do we have to?" She asked hopefully, knowing full well the answer was yes.

She wanted to talk to Regina, she really did, but everything was going so smoothly, and well, talks between the two of them usually didn't.

"I mean, we could just…I don't know, hang out first?"

One look from Regina had her back on track.

"Okay. You're right." She took a deep breath. Ogres, check. Time travel, check. Opening herself to someone again…

"Can I at least have that whiskey now?"

Regina smirked. "If you don't, I will."

The brunette leading the way, they went to sit in Regina's den, just the way they had two years ago. Where it all began. How much had changed.

Or maybe things weren't so different after all, because Emma still found herself following in awkwardly, Regina a little stiff, emotionally compromised, both seeming like strangers again, but this time only because all that had been revealed meant that the women were truly seeing each other for the first time.

Determined to be casual, subconsciously studying Regina as she grabbed two tumblers, Emma jumped right in once she had downed the whiskey that had only just made it to her hand.

"So where do you want to start? Our magic? The Enchanted Forest? Today?"

The reality of it all hit her as she listed their options. How would they ever get through this tangle of their lives? So, fiddling with the rim of her glass, she stopped to ask the one thing she really wanted to.

"Are you okay?"

She knew the question was too little, too stupid, of course Regina wasn't okay, nothing about this was okay, but all Emma cared about was helping her through it. Anything she could do.

"You love me?"

Oddly enough, Emma wasn't as thrown by the quiet question coming from across the couch as she was by the utter vulnerability that lay just under Regina's attempt at being factual. And she wouldn't let her suffer just because it was a big deal for her too.

Honesty would have to do.

"I do."

The way wide brown eyes glowed gold for a flash was more than enough to tell her she had made the right decision.

"When?" Regina inquired with genuine curiosity.

Emma sat back and considered. It had snuck up on her.

"A while. I don't know. I've always had a thing for bad girls."

Once again, Emma saved her from her emotions with her distractingly terrible humor. But what was once a guaranteed irritant now made Regina's heart swell.

"Emma," she chided.

Emma's teasing smile faded as she considered what she wanted to ask.

"When did you?" She questioned Regina sincerely, searching her face for any hint of an answer.

"What?"

"You love me." It wasn't a question. She knew. She just needed confirmation.

It was one thing to admit it to herself, but to Emma…even with all of the assurances in the world, she could still lose her. But her Savior deserved the truth.

"Yes."

They both exhaled, the pressure in the room dissipating. Emma couldn't help but lean in, searching for the connection she had felt with her hand literally inside of Regina's chest.

"I could feel it," she marveled, as she flexed her fingers, remembering the whispers of magic. "I bet you could feel mine too. With my heart. Couldn't you tell when?"

Regina considered the minute she had spent fully absorbing Emma, everything that had been in her heart, but even from a distance it was more than overwhelming. She unconsciously brought her hand to her chest, still expecting to feel the second heartbeat.

"There was just…so much," she murmured. "I couldn't. It felt as old as time. But new."

Emma smiled. So fairy tales did get some things right. Where was Angela Lansbury to sing her and Regina their love song?

"I guess True Love is always like that, huh? You know, it kinda would have been nice to grow up knowing that actually existed," Emma pondered, leaning back to consider how things might have been different, not noticing Regina growing stony.

"It didn't change much for me," she muttered into her glass. "At least not for the better."

Emma mentally smacked herself. Of course knowing True Love was real had made everything exponentially worse for Regina: believing it was taken from her, having her love murdered, forced into a marriage without it...

"I'm sorry." Emma glanced down at her hands, not able to stomach the pain she had brought to the surface, the pain that she had absorbed underneath all of the love and brave self-sacrifice. "I know it means shit, but I'm so sorry you had to go through everything you had to go through from birth onwards."

Instead of the dismissal or the anger she had been expecting, Emma was jolted when Regina's eyes instantly widened in disbelief.

"No! Emma, I—" This time Regina couldn't maintain contact, her eyes dropping as she sorted through all of the thoughts and feelings Emma's heart had shared. Trying to compose herself as best she could, she continued, "I can't believe the pain…it was all my fault. I'm sorry."

Emma had forgotten that her love hadn't been the only thing shared in their bond—if she had had glimpses of Regina's life, Regina must have seen _all_ of hers. But what was once a terrifying thought was now soothing. She had no more secrets. She didn't have to go through the pain of revealing them, reliving them all just to let someone who could hurt her in. And Regina was still here, still loving, and not using a single thing against her.

"No, Regina," she insisted, taking one of the brunette's hands in her own. "We can both be sorry our lives sucked, but it wasn't your fault. And now we have Henry." Emma couldn't miss the sparkle in Regina's eye at the mention of their son.

"Let's just try to keep our lives from sucking from now on? Okay, my One True Love?"

Emma couldn't resist the cheesy add on; around Regina, her teasing always reached its limit—something about the hope that one day it'd provoke a genuine smile.

Today was truly that day.

Emma was stunned as Regina's laugh burst through her lips, kept shut in a futile attempt to stop whatever amusement she had found in the blonde's proclamation, the trigger to the relief and joy and fatigue that had been all bundled up inside which only grew with Emma's beaming smile of achievement. There was nothing in the world like watching Regina light up with happiness.

"I love you."

It tumbled out in her admiration. Not that it was anything new to either of them at this point, but for some reason, it felt more real to Regina said aloud than it even had sharing Emma's heart. Quieting, she searched those emerald eyes for answers that would never be there but found she could just be grateful.

"I love you, too, Emma Swan."

Of all the ways Emma expected this shit storm to end, this was not even close to being one of them. With this gorgeous woman staring at her with a kind of love and admiration she had never truly had before, she couldn't help but thank whatever twisted stars were up there that she had been made Savior. She had a family. The kind she had only ever dreamed of.

There was only one thing left she had to do.

Emma leaned in to gently kiss the lips that had always drawn her focus, before she had even considered an attraction, wondering about the scar or how Regina managed to keep them so perfectly red, what it might take to smudge them…

She found out when Regina responded in kind.

Their first kiss was more figuratively magical than any of the actual magic they had done, so unlike either of the women involved, soft and tender and delicate and questioning.

But so perfect.

Emma had intended to pull back just to savor the taste of Regina's lips, the feel of her skin, the warmth of her essence, to appreciate her like a fine wine that was much too expensive and enchanting to gulp; she had intended to pull back and sort through the emotions that bubbled, the implausibility of it all, the reality of it all, the conflicting stories that needed to be sorted; she had intended to pull back and temper the buzz that was humming through her body with a throwaway joke about how they didn't seem to be ready for talking after all or how they didn't seem to be much good at it.

But pulling back mere centimeters just to see the truth in Regina's eyes, all she found was heat.

Their passion ignited. Hands moved from hands to face and waist, Emma pulling Regina in as close as they could be on the couch, their embrace still tender, but now powerful, magnetic, unbreakable. Being so close was dizzying, the sensations so strong, but everything in their souls drove them to be even closer. Emma's hands teasing at her hips, grasping at her back, Regina straddled Emma's lap as they continued to push into one another, trying to force their very atoms to connect as they explored each other's mouths and bodies.

Regina hadn't remembered what it was like. 40 years of nothing. Nothing like this.

She was desperate.

Only pausing to gulp in breath, the warm air shared between them, Emma searched the dark brown eyes above her, desire-darkened enough to reflect her own. She didn't think she had ever wanted anything this badly, the strain deep down in the very marrow of her bones.

"Can we…?" She asked, trying not to plead, trying to be sensitive to the fact this was them, this was crazy, true love be damned. But before she could even find it in herself to slow down, Regina responded breathlessly.

"Yes"

The way the single word vibrated through her system was exquisite torture. This couldn't possibly be real. It shouldn't be real. Not after what they had gone through.

Cursing herself for trying to be rational, Emma couldn't help but spit out, "Is this a good idea? After everything?"

The fire in Regina's eyes never even flickered.

"God, yes."

* * *

**A/N:** I'm sorry once again for my seeming inability to write longer chapters, and for my slight delay (I got caught up in reading the excellent work in the SQ Big Bang). There will be more talking in the next chapter...but it also might veer into some M territory. We'll see how tasteful I can be. : )


	17. Chapter 17

Regina actually managed to find the control to break their connection, climbing off the blonde's lap in order to lead her upstairs to the bedroom, tugging impatiently at her hand. She moved as quickly as she could, determined to keep as much distance between them as possible so she wouldn't feel the brush of the blonde's body against her own and just turn and pin Emma to the nearest wall with another passionate kiss.

God, she just wanted to lose herself in that kiss.

But she wanted to do this right. She needed to. And as they approached her room, she couldn't help but change, her self-assurance waning as the white door loomed.

Was she actually going to do this? Could she?

Pulling open the door with grim determination, she couldn't make it more than a few steps before stopping them in the middle of the floor. Not to pounce, not to strip, not even to move. Regina stood there, not able to let go of Emma's hand, but not able to take the next step.

Emma was puzzled. The usually sexually confident Queen was a whole other woman in the dim light of the room. She seemed small, afraid. This was not the bold woman who had her tingling from the sensuous pull of her body. She was the girl from the castle, the one Emma had been unlucky enough to see.

Still gripping Emma's hand tightly, Regina found she couldn't hide her nervousness as the blonde's confusion turned to concern. Nor should she. If she was going with honesty in this relationship, whatever it was, with Emma, she would have to go with full honesty, especially because Emma already had gotten so much of it from just one moment with her heart.

Emma was already armed to the teeth with her secrets and weaknesses. One more couldn't hurt.

"I've never…made love."

Her statement may have been intended to be mayoral, but it was laced with all sorts of trepidation, the desire to turn "making love" into something worth scoffing at actually revealing how desperately she had longed for it.

Emma's heart broke just a little more for the Queen who had been so hoping to convey disdain, who was so unwilling to let someone in that she wouldn't allow herself the truth—who was so close to Emma in so many ways when the blonde herself had refused to use the term after Neal had revealed it to be true and then shattered its happiness.

So as much as her lips had been looking forward to other activities, Emma figured a little more talking wouldn't hurt.

She tenderly led Regina to sit on the edge of the bed. She would be there for Regina to tell her anything. Even the things she already knew, because this, this was her consciously deciding to let Emma in, and that meant the world.

"You're not just talking about with a woman," Emma prompted with a sincere smile.

Regina took in the blonde sitting beside her, so patient and troubled, the lines drawn clearly across her forehead, so unlike the aggravating child she could so often be.

For once, she just wanted to tell someone everything. She wanted to tell Emma everything.

"Daniel and I, we kissed. Stolen moments on the hill near my home, in the barn." Her words tumbled gently into the moonlit air. Maybe it was all she had been through or what Emma was offering her now, but she managed to speak of her first love with simple fondness, melancholy only tingeing what had been stolen from them. It deepened, however, with remembering what had been stolen from her.

"The King was my first," Regina breathed, trying to stem the rising bile in her gut. Had she looked up, she would have lost her reserve at the sight of Emma's anger, her revulsion, her overriding desire to hold the woman she loved in her arms in the hopes that simply her presence could offer some sort of balm to the wounds she had suffered. But Emma used every last ounce of her control to remain silent, waiting for the rest of her Queen's confession. And Regina did continue.

"He was my only for a long time. Even after his death. I considered it from time to time, but only ever just to fill a need. There were plenty of knights looking to bed the Queen, but, always, before anything truly happened, I…" Regina considered couching her reaction in something that would seem less pathetic, but that wouldn't have been the truth, as fully as she had managed to hide it from her suitors…and some less genteel callers. "I would panic. It was too much. So I just didn't. For a long time.

"And then there was Graham."

Regina choked. She should have stopped long ago—a beautiful woman who loved her and wanted to take her to bed was sitting right by her side, and she was willingly bringing up one of their most wrought conflicts. One of her least proud moments. But she couldn't stop. The dam broken, everything was bound to spill out at one point or another. Might as well be now so Emma could leave before she gave herself fully, without as much regret.

"He was interested…and he was different. Taking his heart—it was how I could guarantee that he wouldn't be able to hurt me. Or at least how I thought I could."

In absorbing what was in Regina's heart, Emma now knew not only the truth of what Regina had done, but why. Instantly recalling every circumstance of Graham's death, her feelings now colored by Regina's perception, the world she lived in, the reality of taking hearts, yet another thing she had thought belonged to her taken by Emma the intruder, watching her control slip when all she needed was control because it meant that no one could have it over her, not her mother, not Gold… Emma was thrown by her new understanding, wanting to be disturbed by Regina's crimes but unable to be entirely, not when destiny played such a large role in their lives, as if they lived out a written script and the most innocent girl was given the most horrific role.

They would have to work through it all. Of course they would. And there would be arguments and flaws and knots to untangle, but not now. Now they needed to revel in love. In the thing they both had been denied for so long.

Emma wanted to stop her. To tell her it was all okay because she already knew, and it was hard to tell, and Regina shouldn't have to; and it was also hard to accept that her True Love had done some horrible things, even harder when terrible things had been done to her, and she was going to have trouble dealing with all of it, but that didn't mean they had to this very second, but as Emma pondered how she could translate it all into words, Regina took a deep, shuddering breath in, preparing to continue. So Emma let her. Because Regina had to. It was part of their healing. Part of their new beginning.

"It wasn't exactly healthy, as the bug would probably say. It wasn't…right. I used him, a means to an end. He was a well-treated object, but an object nevertheless. God, just like I was. That I disposed of…" Regina looked away shamefully, filled with remorse over the stupid Huntsman, feelings she had never much considered before. But suddenly, she felt Emma squeeze her hand, telegraphing her understanding. She couldn't help but gasp. She didn't know why, and she certainly didn't deserve it, but if Emma could meet her honesty like this, then maybe it wouldn't be so bad sharing her heart.

"And that was it. That is it."

Emma hesitated. She didn't dare destroy what they had managed so far with her sometimes careless words. She laced her fingers with the Queen's, following her arm up to the eyes that were declaring her pain—over Graham, over the mess of her life—broken only by the surprise of Emma coming closer instead of running away.

"I know we have a lot to talk about," she began, not daring to look away from the woman she desperately loved, reading every shift as it moved through her features. "A lot more than I can even think about right now. And I now have a lot of truths embedded in my subconscious or whatever that I'm gonna have to deal with and you're gonna have to deal with, but right now, I know how sorry you are, even if you never say it, and I know why. I may not always agree with why, but I know it."

Emma couldn't even begin to think about everything that Regina knew about her now, all of the shit she had done and been through, how her Queen wasn't even giving it a second thought. Regina was so vulnerable she couldn't imagine that Emma felt the same way. As if she could never be worthy of the blonde's love, when the truth was, Emma could never feel worthy. She was a wondering orphan ex-con failure of a foster kid who had been stupid and crass and abandoned, and the ruler of an entire kingdom—a true queen with the wardrobe and the snootiness and the proper manners and elaborate education, not to mention extensive magical powers—loved her. Loved her and thought she was unworthy of her love in return. When that couldn't be further from the truth.

"But Regina, I can't wait to show you what it—what making love is like. Because you deserve that. And so much more." She paused as the emotional impact of her words rolled over the both of them like their True Love magic had over the town. Neither had felt so undeserving. Neither had felt so grateful. But the tears that prickled in their eyes reminded Emma of their circumstances.

"But maybe we should wait. Just until we work things through," she qualified. "I don't want you to think that it means anything other than I love you."

Regina knew it wasn't a rejection. She knew Emma was being mature and responsible and respectful of everything they had gone through. But she couldn't help it. She panicked a little.

"I need this," she entreated, anxiously searching green eyes for the words she wanted. "I need you. Every time we get close, I feel my heart getting lighter. It's getting easier. I have a lot to…deal with, as you said. We both do. Having to wait…I'm afraid I wouldn't—_we_ wouldn't get through it."

It wasn't about forgetting what had happened, reveling in some carnal instinct until dawn came to crash them back to reality—she needed to share Emma again. She needed to connect. Only connect.

Emma caught on to her fear, her emphasis of the we, and as much as she hated to admit it, she couldn't ever imagine a reality in which there was no longer a "we," an "us," an "our son." She couldn't conceive of their being apart, even knowing that she had fallen for a woman whose darkness often threatened to overwhelm her. She couldn't ever leave Regina, not anymore.

"Regina. I absolutely never say this, but I'm here. For good. We've gotten though worse. No matter what happens, no matter what we decide tonight or any other night, I'll be here. Just…just don't leave, okay?"

Regina's heart splintered at Emma's words, so artificially strong, when the blonde in front of her was looking more like a broken little girl, someone who had been abandoned as often as Regina had been destroyed. A girl who had been so strong for her when this thing, this love, was just as dangerous and threatening for her. What a pair they made.

She grabbed Emma's other hand, turning to face her fully. She would be the comforter now. She would share her truth. Her eyes burned with her seriousness.

"Emma Swan. You have my heart. And there is absolutely no changing that. I will always fight for you."

A smile cracked over Emma's mouth. How Regina managed to convince her…she always knew when Regina was telling the truth.

"So you're stuck with me then?"

Her coy smile was soon matched on the brunette's face.

"And you me, Miss Swan."

"Perfect. Can't say I mind having an Evil Queen on my side."

"Careful, dear, all your do-right savior influence and she won't be Evil much longer."

She tried to joke, but she couldn't hide the truth in her words. Her softening scared her more than she could say, but it was inevitable. Emma Swan was turning her into sentimental mush. And the blonde seemed quite pleased with herself at that.

She leant over to kiss Regina on the cheek.

"I'm okay with that, too."

She slowly pulled away from the satin skin she longed to explore only to be stopped by the intensity radiating from her Queen. Gratitude and love, but perhaps most importantly sitting together on her bed, desire.

Maybe it wasn't a good idea to wait. Everything had stilled in the cover of night, but tomorrow would be filled with light and reality and families and whatever else they would have to deal with. Maybe it would help Regina. Maybe this is what they both needed to start again, to give themselves fully to each other, no magic involved.

At the very least, with their new bond so fresh and seemingly fragile, they would need to be near each other the whole night, and Emma was finding that would be much too difficult to keep platonic. She didn't know whether she'd be able to last the night without wandering hands, and she certainly didn't think she'd last in another room when all she wanted was to hold the one she loved, so she remained frozen, only inches away, debating whether to go for it when Regina made the choice for her.

She practically lunged forward, hoping for a kiss, a deep, passionate kiss. Regina was accustomed to taking what she wanted, and god, did she want Emma. But then, right before her deliverance, she pulled back just enough to match green eyes to hers.

She couldn't just take from Emma. That wasn't what this was about.

"Please?"

If Emma had thought nothing could possibly be hotter than Regina in her mayoral command, she had been entirely wrong. She had no resistance to gentle Regina, and "please"?

She was done for.

She grabbed Regina's waist, pulling the brunette over to her, settling her on her lap as they had been before, and claimed her lips once again, memorizing their curve, threading her hands through incredibly silky hair.

This was real, this was happening, but they would take it as slowly and as thoughtfully as they had to.

Regina would be treasured.

Reluctantly breaking their kiss, Emma moved her hands down Regina's front, stopping at each button on her blouse to reverently pluck it open, holding her breath at the growing strip of newly revealed skin. Regina couldn't help but shiver. She never expected the blonde to be capable of such delicacy, such patience.

Finally her blouse fell open, exposing black lace that somehow Emma had been expecting even with the terror of their day. Of course Regina would wear nothing but the best.

She trailed kisses down her neck to her collarbone, brushing the cloth from her shoulders and letting it slip to the floor. Regina almost felt exposed, the attention Emma was paying to every inch of her revealed in the moonlight, but the blonde stopped her reverence to remove her own shirt, allowing Regina's fingertips to trail along the musculature she had often admired. They continued unhurried, kissing and touching and admiring, each item of clothing removed from one matching the other. Emma wordlessly checked in at every stage, still wary of where they had begun, but Regina was much too intrigued by the unusual progression to consider anything different. As they carried on, Emma found proceeding as she had planned to be much harder than expected as Regina's bare skin came into contact with her own, their kisses becoming more frantic, their bodies responding intensely.

At last left with only bottoms, Emma hoisted Regina to sit where she had been on the edge of the bed, and stood, placing herself between Regina's legs, taking the Queen's hands to lead them to the button of her jeans. She was acting much braver than she felt as she looked down into bourbon-colored eyes filled with wonder that had her buzzing more than the alcohol itself would, her skin tingling as Regina carefully removed the denim and the cotton underneath until the blonde was bare before her.

She could have sat and admired Emma's ease and beauty, but Emma had other plans, standing her up and pulling her in close as she repeated the process with Regina's trousers and lace, until she could soak in the full beauty of her Queen. She stared, etching Regina's image into her memory when she noticed arms rising to cover perfect breasts and she met Regina's eyes, shimmering.

She was uncomfortable in Emma's scrutiny.

Hitting herself for her mistake, Emma pulled Regina to her tightly and laid a gentle kiss on her lips, waiting until arms moved to shoulders holding her in.

"I'm sorry," Emma whispered, punctuating her apology with another kiss, "I've only ever seen masterpieces at the Met. I can't believe someone so beautiful could possibly be in love with me."

She watched as the apprehension in Regina's eyes faded into astonishment before she rolled her own.

"I also can't believe how cheesy you make me. I guess when you get your fairy tale ending you have to start talking like you're in one?"

"Emma." Regina was dissolving at the blonde's shy admission, and was determined to repay the favor, ignoring her own walls of humor and brushing back golden hair. "You're gorgeous. Always know that."

The way Regina hummed her name and the truth in her expression…all of Emma's lingering doubts of being unfit for her Queen vanished, and she regained some of her boldness.

"Can I…?" She considered how to phrase her request. "There's something I've been wanting to do."

"Oh, really?" Regina cocked an eyebrow, thinking of the sexual fantasies the blonde must have entertained, but Emma's eyes were so sincere, and even standing naked together, Regina couldn't help but think there was more to this wish than that. And that was frightening. But she was piecing together her ability to trust, and Emma was the first one she was going to let have a go with it, so she managed to nod her head, hoping beyond hope Emma knew what she was doing.

Emma took Regina's permission with joy, lowering them both back to the bed without ever breaking eye contact. She watched dark hair splay across the comforter as Regina settled on her back, noting how she was somehow even more stunning than just seconds before, and decided to take a detour from her intended course to once again map those delicious lips, that warm mouth, that skilled tongue. But she somehow tore herself away, even with Regina's disappointed hum, because she had something she needed to do.

Pulling herself up over her Queen, she stared once more into whiskey depths before leaning to the side to kiss smooth olive arms, just the way she had wanted to on that moonlit road in the Enchanted Forest, even though the bruises were no longer visible, the faded yellowing hidden in the dark, but she moved to each of the new ones, the bruises from their battle, working her way across Regina's body until she had kissed away every scratch and ache she could find before ending up at the hip bones curving to where she had certainly not forgotten this night was headed. She placed two last gentle kisses on each before drawing her head back up to look at the brunette.

Regina was breathless.

She was overwhelmed by Emma, feeling more loved than she ever had and more aroused than she ever had, and with the blonde looking up at her with such awe, asking for permission with those forest eyes, once again Regina could only nod—she wanted this, god, did she want it, but her stomach still fluttered—it had never happened before. It was much too intimate with Graham; Leopold would never have even considered. But her dark thoughts were forced from her mind when those incredible pink lips that had written Emma's love across her skin her made their way from her pelvis to her inner thigh with just as much care as they had the for the rest of her body.

Every nerve ending shimmered with an energy she thought could only come from magic as Emma began to worship her with her tongue.

Her incredible joy was tempered only by the thought that she had spent so much of her long life without this, but she couldn't even hold on to that, any negativity slipping through the cracks, because if that was what she had to suffer to have the Savior in her bed, loving her the way she was being loved—maybe it wasn't repayment, but it was a damn good start.

Regina was over the edge, falling in absolute bliss more quickly and intensely than she ever had before, but Emma didn't stop, despite the powerful orgasm that wracked through the brunette's body or her own incredible arousal from experiencing it, watching and hearing Regina come apart—she wanted it to last forever. But suddenly, Regina regained control of her arms long enough to tug at her face, bringing her eyes to meet molten chocolate ones.

"Kiss me," she pleaded, "please."

That _please_.

Emma did exactly as she was commanded, but she was not about to leave what she started unfinished. Crawling up her Queen's body to kiss her with the same will to channel her emotions as she had when they shared their magic, she substituted her hand for where her lips had been before. And as Regina kissed back with everything she had, her hands grasping at her Savior, Emma slid into her.

Everything melded together as a periwinkle haze surrounding them grew with each movement, each moan, until Emma could feel herself falling with Regina this second time, her love's pleasure just as vivid as if she had been the one to experience it.

Their tremors dissipating with the mist around them, they collapsed, Emma fitting herself into Regina's side, so in love, so warm, so in awe of their magic.

She matched her breathing to Regina's as they both fought for air, regaining control of their thoughts and bodies. She let her fingertips brush over the soft skin they rested on, feeling the rise and fall Regina's chest. She drew herself even closer to the brunette, swearing she could feel the rush of blood in the veins beneath the surface, the rush of magic. She had never been much of a cuddler, but Emma sensed that a lot of things were going to be changing for the both of them.

"You're incredible," she mused, still drawn to the warmth that emanated from the woman beside her. "That was incredible."

"It really was," Regina murmured in response, claiming Emma's hand and lacing their fingers. She sat up slightly, drawing Emma up with her, just as unwilling to break their connection. "Thank you."

Emma's smile stretched to its limit. She didn't think she'd ever get enough of this. Hoisting herself up on an arm, she took in all of Regina's timid gratitude.

"I mean this sincerely when I say absolutely any time Regina. Any fucking time."

Her bravado was rewarded by a matching grin, teeth shining from still-red lips, a predatory gleam in still-dark eyes before Regina turned restrained once again.

"Did you…?" She asked, desperate to know if what she thought had happened had been true.

"It felt like it was my own. Like I was you. God." Emma still felt the energy pulsing through her system, her senses kicking in with the memory. "It was insane. Amazingly, mind-blowingly insane. I'm that good, huh?"

Regina smirked. She certainly wouldn't deny the blonde's talents. Or the enthusiasm she had for their moment together.

"You do have a certain skill, she conceded, flexing their still intertwined fingers. "But your magic…I felt it too." She was in awe. They hadn't actually performed any magic, outside of the energy they naturally emitted. They weren't drawing on each other, they hadn't needed it, but it still came to the surface, weaving together just as true as their bodies. She had never heard of anything like that happening before. "Two perfectly melded magical beings…" she marveled aloud.

"True Love is the most powerful orgasm of them all!"

Regina laughed. A full, ringing laugh, whether she was still high from Emma's touch or she was just now so used to the blonde's childishness tempering her, she laughed and Emma reveled in every moment with it. Of all the ways she had gotten to see Regina, she liked this way best.

"I don't think that's how the expression goes, dear," Regina teased.

"You know, you're probably right. I really don't want to be thinking about all those other True Love couples." Emma cringed as she remembered that as the literal product of True Love, she'd be including her parents in her previous statement.

"That's probably for the best." Regina cupped Emma's cheek as her good humor transformed into something much deeper. All the gifts Emma had given her, from this laughter to Henry. This woman meant everything. Her thumb traced pale freckles and high cheekbones.

"But I'd be happy to prove to you that in our case it is true," Regina crooned, her flirtation tempering the promise in her words.

Emma's heart raced at the suggestion of Regina's touch, her reflex kicking in with useless words.

"I'm pretty sure you already did."

"No," Regina corrected, bringing herself up to her knees in front of the blonde. "You may have benefitted from mine, but you didn't get your turn."

Emma was melting from the inside out at the seduction dripping from Regina's mouth, but she couldn't succumb. It wasn't about turns or tit for tat—everything she did, she did because she wanted—needed to. She didn't want Regina to feel like she owed anything. That wasn't how this was supposed to work. And she truly didn't want her to do anything she was uncomfortable with, but just as she opened her mouth to voice her concerns, a gentle finger landed over her lips.

"No protesting. Emma, I want to _love _you."

It was true. She wanted nothing more than to love the blonde. Love her with no selfishness at all. She needed Emma to see how real it was for her too, and how glad she was that in all of her horror she never managed to scare the woman who was known for running, away. How proud of her she was.

"I can never thank you fully for everything you have given me, for everything you will give me, but I can give you my best. I love you, Emma. Will you let me try this way of showing you?"

This time Emma was reduced to nodding as Regina climbed over her, her nerves practically sparking in anticipation as bare skin met bare skin once again.

"I am so glad you dug in your heels, Sheriff Swan," she whispered, leaning to Emma's ear, her hair tickling her face as she switched to the other ear with a kiss. "I am so glad you stayed every time I tried to push you away."

"And you may have been right about my never having been with a woman," Regina purred, staring at her prey, her hands already masterfully travelling over Emma's torso as she flashed a truly evil smile.

"But I've been known to be a rather quick learner."

* * *

**A/N: **I didn't change the rating because I believe I stayed within R-movie territory. If you think I should, please let me know.

I believe I'll be leaving our heroines with this happy ending. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing and following and favoriting-I truly appreciate the time you've given me!


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